Nikolay Iliev

{{Short description|Bulgarian footballer (born 1964)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}

{{family name hatnote|Stefanov|Iliev|lang=Bulgarian}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Nikolay Iliev

| image = Nikolay iliev.jpg

| fullname = Nikolay Stefanov Iliev

| caption = Iliev in 2014

| height = 1.90 m

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1964|3|31}}

| birth_place = Sofia, Bulgaria

| currentclub =

| position = Sweeper, centre back

| years1 = 1982–1989

| caps1 = 182

| goals1 = 18

| clubs1 = Levski Sofia

| years2 = 1989–1991

| caps2 = 28

| goals2 = 3

| clubs2 = Bologna

| years3 = 1991–1992

| caps3 = 10

| goals3 = 1

| clubs3 = Hertha BSC

| years4 = 1992–1993

| caps4 = 14

| goals4 = 7

| clubs4 = Levski Sofia

| years5 = 1993–1995

| caps5 = 5

| goals5 = 0

| clubs5 = Stade Rennais

| totalcaps = 239

| totalgoals = 32

| nationalyears1 = 1986–1994

| nationalcaps1 = 53

| nationalgoals1 = 5

| nationalteam1 = Bulgaria

}}

Nikolay Stefanov Iliev ({{langx|bg|Николай Стефанов Илиев}}; born 31 March 1964) is a Bulgarian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He was part of the Bulgarian national team that reached the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup.{{cite web | url = https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=84/teams/team=43936.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070629043019/http://fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=84/teams/team=43936.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 29 June 2007 | title = 1994 FIFA World Cup: Bulgaria Squad | publisher = FIFA.com | accessdate = 22 January 2010}} Iliev's spent most of his career with Levski Sofia, managing 196 appearances and 25 goals in the A PFG as well as participating in 19 matches and netting 2 goals in European tournaments. He also had a spell with Bologna in Serie A in the late 1980s and early 1990s, becoming the first Bulgarian footballer to ply his trade in the top Italian league.{{cite web | url = https://topsport.bg/levski/ot-levski-pozdraviha-legendata-nikolay-iliev.html | title = От "Левски" поздравиха легендата Николай Илиев | publisher = topsport.bg | date=31 March 2020| accessdate = 1 April 2020}}