:Nikolay Bozhov

Bozhov started his youth career in Bulgarian powerhouse Levski Sofia's academy. At the age of 17, he retired from football because of a waist injury. Bozhov's father died soon after Bozhov finished his compulsory military service, so he had to take charge of his father's ironmonger's shop. The business quickly developed and the shop soon grew to a full-fledged enterprise. Bozhov imported goods from China and supplied local wholesale dealers. At the time, Bozhov did not even consider a return to football, as his business provided a good source of income and his waist problems continued.{{cite news|url=http://www.dnevnik.bg/sport/2010/08/24/950896_edin_futbolist_koito_ne_e_na_vie_s_biznesa/|title=Един футболист, който не е на "вие" с бизнеса|last=Опренов|first=Иван|date=24 August 2010|work=Дневник|publisher=Икономедиа|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=19 September 2010}}

In 2005, on the insistence of a friend, Bozhov started appearing for amateur side Vihar Gorublyane, returning to football after a ten-year break. He played for the team for two seasons in the lower divisions of Bulgaria's football pyramid. While a part-time player at Vihar, Bozhov did not receive any salary. In 2007, the club merged with B PFG side Akademik Sofia, and thus Bozhov indirectly became a part of that team.

In June 2007, at 30, Bozhov signed his first professional contract with Akademik Sofia. Nonetheless, he was not a full-time footballer for the club and would sometimes attend training as rarely as once{{cite web|url=http://football.sportal.bg/news.php?news=256475|title=Николай Божов: Грандовете да треперят от Славия!|date=30 August 2010|publisher=Sportal.bg|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=19 September 2010}} or twice a week. He made his debut on 18 August 2007, during the 2007–08 season, in a 1–1 away draw against Yantra Gabrovo,{{cite web|url=http://www.akademik-sofia.com/page.php?68|title=Визитна картичка на Николай Божов|publisher=ПФК АКАДЕМИК София|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=19 September 2010}} coming on as a substitute for Troyan Radulov. In the next week he scored his first goal for a 2–1 away win against Velbazhd Kyustendil. In his first season as a professional footballer, Bozhov made 18 appearances in the B PFG and scored six goals.{{cite web|publisher=pfl.bg|title=Bozhov 2007–08 Statistics|url=http://www.pfl.bg/pfl/opencms/menu/en/bpfg/zapadna/archive/stat.jsp?link=players.cgi?DB:c08;LAT!ID:1750!!queryPlayersInfo17_matches@}}

During the following 2008–09 campaign, the Akademik manager decided to use Bozhov in the starting line-up as the team's main striker. In that season, Bozhov scored eight goals in 24 appearances.{{cite web|publisher=pfl.bg|title=Bozhov 2008–09 Statistics|url=http://www.pfl.bg/pfl/opencms/menu/en/bpfg/zapadna/archive/stat.jsp?link=players.cgi?DB:c09;LAT!ID:1750!!queryPlayersInfo18_matches@}}

The 2009–10 season saw Bozhov emerge as the top scorer of Akademik Sofia with 15 goals in 24 games.{{cite web|publisher=pfl.bg|title=Bozhov 2009–10 Statistics|url=http://www.pfl.bg/pfl/opencms/menu/en/bpfg/zapadna/archive/stat.jsp?link=players.cgi?DB:c10;LAT!ID:1750!!queryPlayersInfo19_matches@}} His goals helped the team gain promotion to the first division in Bulgaria, for the first time in 28 years. On 23 May 2010, Bozhov scored two goals in the A PFG promotion play-off against Nesebar{{cite news|url=http://www.dnevnik.bg/sport/2010/05/23/905598_akademik_sofiia_se_vurna_v_a_grupa_sled_28_g_po/|title="Академик" (София) се върна в А група след 28 г. по долните дивизии|last=Опренов|first=Иван|date=23 May 2010|work=Дневник|publisher=Икономедия|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=19 September 2010}} and was voted Akademik's best player of the 2009–10 season.

In late May 2010, Bozhov joined Slavia Sofia on a free transfer, agreeing a one-year deal with the A PFG club.{{cite web|url=http://gong.bg/view_article.php?article_id=137787|title=Славия взе героя от баража|last=Иванов|first=Пламен|date=28 May 2010|publisher=Гонг|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=19 September 2010}} Among the reasons for Bozhov's choice to sign for Slavia was the negative effect of the 2008 financial crisis on his business, which ceased to be profitable. While he was still running the enterprise and paying the salaries of his three employees, he could afford to train daily and attend pre-season camps outside Sofia.

He began the season in fine form for Slavia. On 7 August 2010, while 33 years old, he made his debut in the Bulgarian top division. Bozhov scored his first competitive Slavia goal 12 minutes into his debut, in the game against Minyor Pernik.{{cite web|url=http://www.novsport.com/news107910_1020.html|title=Николай Божов: Гледах си бизнеса и Славия ме взе|last=Колев|first=Димитър|date=12 August 2010|publisher=Novsport|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=19 September 2010}} In Slavia's fourth game of the season against Pirin Blagoevgrad, Bozhov scored twice.{{cite web|url=http://football.sportal.bg/news.php?news=254873|title=Славия смачка Пирин, Божов и Галин Иванов блестят|date=21 August 2010|publisher=Sportal.bg|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=19 September 2010}} He also featured in the next game, at home against Lokomotiv Plovdiv, when he scored his fourth goal of the A PFG season.{{cite web|url=http://www.focus-sport.net/?action=news&id=1148764344157|title=Футбол: Славия победи Локомотив (Пд) с 2:1, Божов отново бележи|date=28 August 2010|publisher=Focus Sport|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=19 September 2010}} On 11 September 2010, Bozhov continued to impress with two goals in a 4–0 win against his previous team Akademik Sofia.{{cite web|url=http://bnt.bg/bg/sport/view/36575/slavija_razgromi_akademik_sofija_s_4_0|title=Славия разгроми Академик /София/ с 4:0|date=11 September 2010|publisher=Българска национална телевизия|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=19 September 2010}}

Bozhov was at one point sharing 5th place among the top scorers in the A PFG.

On 7 April 2011, Bozhov netted twice (including a last-minute goal with a scissor kick to send the game into extra time) in the 4:4 draw with Chernomorets Burgas in the quarter finals of the Bulgarian Cup. He also converted his penalty kick into the eventual shootout to decide the game, which was won by Slavia. Bozhov featured less regularly during the 2011/2012 season and was released from Slavia in late April 2012.{{Cite web|url=http://www.7sport.net/archive7ds/2012/04/26/fb_1footbg/d6436_11.htm|author=Kichukov, Simeon|publisher=7sport.net|title=Славия махна Божов и Метъла. Треньорите няма да разчитат на нападателите до края на сезона

|date=26 April 2012|accessdate=31 July 2015 |language=Bulgarian}}{{dead link|date=February 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

As of 31 May 2012

{{reflist}}

• [http://akademik-sofia.com/page.php?68 Profile at Akademik Sofia]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bozhov, Nikolay}}

Category:1977 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Sofia

Category:Bulgarian men's footballers

Category:PFC Akademik Sofia players

Category:PFC Slavia Sofia players

Category:Hamrun Spartans F.C. players

Category:FC Vitosha Bistritsa players

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Malta

Category:Bulgarian expatriates in Malta