Dimitar Iliev named Bulgaria's best footballer of 2020

Sofia (Bulgaria), Jan 20 Dimitar Iliev has won the Best Bulgarian Football Player of The Year award for the second consecutive time.

A poll of 95 journalists awarded him 158 points at the event's 60th edition on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

32-year-old Iliev, whose Lokomotiv Plovdiv side won last year's Bulgarian Cup and Super Cup, was followed by Valentin Antov from CSKA Sofia with 126 points, while Anton Nedyalkov from Ludogorets came third with 72 points.

"I am extremely proud and happy," Iliev said at the awards ceremony, which was held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Iliev added that it had been an extremely strange and difficult year, and that he hoped the epidemic would go away as soon as possible.

Former Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov has won the award a record seven times, doing so in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

( With inputs from IANS )