Today, August 12, 2026, one of the greatest emblems in the history of Bulgarian football – Dimitar Yakimov – celebrates his remarkable 85th birthday.
The football player, whose name is synonymous with virtuoso technique, unsurpassed dribbling and football poetry, received hundreds of emotional congratulations from the sports community in our country. The leadership of the army club issued an official address to the supporters, defining the birthday boy as a symbol of football perfection.
Dimitar Yakimov – Mitata remains in the hearts of generations of fans with the nicknames "The Wizard" and "The Poet of Football". He arrives at the "Bulgarian Army" stadium. in 1960 from Septemvri Sofia and defended the red jersey for 14 memorable years. During this period, the striker and attacking midfielder played 352 matches and scored 163 goals in official matches for CSKA.
Mitata's successes at the club level are spectacular – He is 7-time champion of Bulgaria and 5 times lifted the Soviet Army Cup. He was also a key figure in the memorable semi-final battles against the Italian giants Inter for the European Champions Cup (ECC) in the legendary year of 1967. His influence on the game is also evidenced by the fact that Hristo Stoichkov himself has repeatedly cited Yakimov as his greatest inspiration in his childhood.
In addition to his bright mark at the club level, Dimitar Yakimov also occupies a golden page in the history of our national team, for which he recorded 67 matches and 9 goals. It was he who scored the historic winning goal against France in Milan in 1961, which qualified Bulgaria for the first time in the World Cup finals. He participated in three World Cups - in Chile (1962), England (1966) and Mexico (1970), as well as the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960.
Our team joins the numerous wishes to the legend for good health, longevity, unquenchable energy and many more happy moments with his favorite sport!