Dimitar Berbatov

Dimitar Berbatov

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Dimitar Berbatov Berbatov united.jpg
Personal information
Full name Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov
Date of birth 30 January 1981 (1981-01-30) (age 28)
Place of birth Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria[1]
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2]
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Manchester United
Number 9
Youth career
Pirin Blagoevgrad
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1998–2001 CSKA Sofia 50 (25)
2001–2006 Bayer Leverkusen 154 (69)
2006–2008 Tottenham Hotspur 70 (27)
2008– Manchester United 40 (12)
National team‡
1999– Bulgaria 73 (46)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:37, 17 October 2009 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 October 2009

Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov (Bulgarian: Димитър Иванов Бербатов IPA: [diˈmitər bɛrˈbatɔf]; born 30 January 1981)[1] is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United in the Premier League and the Bulgarian national team.[3][4] He has won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award five times, equalling the number of wins by Hristo Stoichkov. He is distinctive for his skilful, seemingly effortless style of play, which has earned him praise but also a perception as being "lazy".[5]

Born in Blagoevgrad, Berbatov began his football career with his local club, Pirin Blagoevgrad, but joined CSKA Sofia as a 17-year-old in 1998. In January 2001, he was signed by Bayer Leverkusen, and 18 months later, he played in his first UEFA Champions League final, coming on as a substitute for Thomas Brdarić in the 2002 final against Real Madrid. After five-and-a-half years with Leverkusen, he was signed by Tottenham Hotspur, before joining Manchester United two years later. He played in his second Champions League final in 2009, competing against Barcelona.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Biography
* 2 Club career
o 2.1 Early career
o 2.2 CSKA Sofia
o 2.3 Bayer Leverkusen
o 2.4 Tottenham Hotspur
o 2.5 Manchester United
o 2.6 International
* 3 Personal life
* 4 Career statistics
o 4.1 International goals
* 5 Honours
o 5.1 Club
o 5.2 Individual
* 6 References
* 7 External links

[edit] Biography

Berbatov's father, Ivan, was a professional footballer with local outfit Pirin Blagoevgrad, and his mother, Margarita, was a professional handball player.[6] As a youngster, Berbatov supported Milan and modelled himself on Marco van Basten, until Euro '96 in England, when the then fifteen year old discovered a new role model in Alan Shearer,[7] formerly of Newcastle United, even sleeping in a Newcastle shirt. His mother later spoke of Dimitar's dream of playing for Newcastle one day.[8][9][10] Berbatov learned the English language by watching the "Godfather" films.[11] Outside of football, he lists his hobbies as drawing and basketball.[12]

Berbatov is a sponsor of children's charities in his native Bulgaria, supporting five care homes.[13] He also has plans to open a football academy in his hometown.[13]
[edit] Club career
[edit] Early career

Berbatov's career began at the Pirin Blagoevgrad club, and continued until he was spotted by legendary scout and coach Dimitar Penev.
[edit] CSKA Sofia

At the age of just 17, Berbatov moved to CSKA Sofia following in the footsteps of his father, Ivan, who also played for the club as a left winger and later as a defender. He played for CSKA Sofia in the Bulgarian A PFG between 1998 and January 2001, making his debut as an 18-year-old in the 1998–99 season. He started to make his name the following year when he scored 14 goals in 27 league games and won the Bulgarian National Cup in 1999.

At the age of 18 Berbatov was kidnapped following a training session as Bulgarian gangster Georgi Iliev, who has since been killed, tried to coerce the striker to sign for his own club, Levski Kjustendil. [14]

In June 2000 he was about to be signed by Italian Serie A side Lecce.[15] Former U.S. Lecce Director of football Pantaleo Corvino stated in an interview[16] that Berbatov had already underwent a medical, but when it came to signing the contract, the move collapsed, probably due to another request[16] by the player himself.
[edit] Bayer Leverkusen

A run of nine goals in 11 games in 2000–01 was enough to persuade Bayer Leverkusen to sign Berbatov in January 2001. Berbatov had a slow start to his Leverkusen career with just 16 goals in his first 67 appearances for the club. He did however play a crucial role in the Champions League during his first season with the club scoring a memorable solo effort against Lyon with an excellent piece of skill, as well as a goal against Liverpool in the quarter finals. He also played a part in the final against Real Madrid coming on as a substitute for Thomas Brdaric after 38 minutes.

In 2001–02, Leverkusen were runners-up in the Fußball-Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. During the 2002–03 Bundesliga season, Berbatov established his place as the first-choice forward at Bayer Leverkusen, but it was not until the 2003–04 season that he really began to shine, scoring 16 goals in 24 starts. The following two seasons saw him go from strength to strength, netting another 46 goals including five in the Champions League 2004–05, raising awareness of his talent and generating interest from teams throughout Europe.
[edit] Tottenham Hotspur

Speculation surrounded a potential move in 2004 for the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year, but it was May 2006, when Berbatov finally joined Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of €16m,[17] (£10.9 million).[18] making him the most expensive Bulgarian player in history. After being granted a work permit, the transfer was completed, and Berbatov joined Tottenham on 1 July 2006. He scored two goals in two minutes in his first match, as a Tottenham player against Birmingham City in a pre-season friendly match.[19]

Berbatov scored his first competitive Tottenham goal two minutes into his home debut in the Premiership game against Sheffield United at White Hart Lane. He built up a rewarding partnership with Robbie Keane in the UEFA Cup, until Spurs' departure to Sevilla in the quarter-finals, and, despite Martin Jol's rotation of his strikers, Berbatov firmly established himself as the first choice forward at the club. He scored five goals in four games during the group stage of the UEFA Cup, with his performances earning two man-of-the-match awards in the group stages against Besiktas and Club Brugge.

Despite his good form in European competition, Berbatov took a while to adapt to the Premiership. However, he soon began to regain the league form he had shown at Leverkusen with an excellent performance against Wigan Athletic, scoring one and creating the other two in a 3–1 win. On 9 December 2006, Berbatov scored his first Premiership brace for Spurs in a 5–1 victory for his side against Charlton Athletic. Berbatov came on as a second half substitute against Fulham in the FA Cup to score his first two goals in the competition. Berbatov scored his first away goal in the Premiership at Goodison Park against Everton, a first-time shot from around the penalty spot after an Aaron Lennon cross. Spurs went on to win the match 2–1.

Berbatov and Spurs team-mate Robbie Keane were named joint winners of the Premier League Player of the Month award for April, becoming the first players to share the award since Arsenal's Dennis Bergkamp and Edu, jointly claimed the award back in February 2004. He scored the 100th goal of Tottenham's 2006–07 season with the first goal of a 2–0 victory over Charlton Athletic on 7 May 2007.

Berbatov is also one of the few people to have two goals included in the BBC's goal of the month competition shortlist, with his sublime efforts against Wigan Athletic and Middlesbrough, both being included. Berbatov ended the 2006–07 season with 12 goals in 33 appearances in the Premier League, and also chipping in with 11 assists.

Due to his highly impressive displays, especially in the latter half of the season, he won the Tottenham Hotspur player of the season award in 2006–07. Berbatov was also included in the FA Premier League's PFA Team of the Season on 21 April 2007, one of only three players in the team not to play for league winners Manchester United (the other two being Steven Gerrard and Didier Drogba). After Spurs narrowly lost to Arsenal in the North London derby on 22 December 2007, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger compared Berbatov to Thierry Henry.[20]

His first Spurs Premier League hat-trick came on 29 December 2007 after he bagged four goals in a 6–4 win against Reading.

Berbatov played in his first cup final for Tottenham on 24 February 2008 in the Football League Cup at Wembley Stadium against Chelsea in which he scored an equalising penalty. Tottenham went on to win the game 2–1 after extra time, with Berbatov collecting his first trophy in English football.[21] On 9 March, Berbatov scored a brace of headers in the 4–0 demolition of West Ham United.[22]

This took his Premier League tally of goals for the season to twelve, which was equal to his 2007 league total. He ended the season with 15 league goals and an identical overall record of 23 goals and 11 assists in all competitions. He again scored Spurs' 100th goal of the season in this campaign, hitting the opener in the 1–1 draw at Wigan on 19 April.

The 2008–09 season began in circumstances when Berbatov's desires for greener pastures dominated tabloid headlines. Ongoing rumours of a substantial bid by Manchester United unsettled the striker, and despite training with Tottenham, Berbatov was dropped for the games against Sunderland.[23] and Chelsea.[24] United manager Alex Ferguson sought to quell these rumours, describing his feelings as "less optimistic" about securing new signings before the close of the transfer windows.[25]
[edit] Manchester United
Berbatov playing for Manchester United.

After much speculation, Berbatov completed a move to Manchester United on 1 September 2008 for a fee of around £30.75 million, with Fraizer Campbell joining Tottenham on a season-long loan as part of the deal.[26][27] This came despite Tottenham accepting a bid for Berbatov from Manchester City on the same day.[28] Berbatov's contract to United is for four years,[29] and he wears the number 9 shirt previously worn by Louis Saha. Berbatov later insisted he never even considered a move to Manchester City.[30]

Berbatov marked his Manchester United debut with an assist to a Carlos Tévez goal away to Liverpool but United went on to lose the game 2–1.[31] He scored his first two goals for Manchester United in their 3–0 win away to Aalborg BK in the Champions League group stage on 30 September 2008.[32] He scored the third goal in a 4–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion to mark his first Premier League goal as a Manchester United player. On 29 October 2008, Berbatov assisted Cristiano Ronaldo to open the scoring in Man Utd's home game against West Ham United after using deft footwork to get past defender James Collins. On 17 January 2009, he scored a last-minute goal to secure a 1–0 away win over Bolton Wanderers and help Man Utd to the top of the Premier League table for the first time in the season.[33] Alex Ferguson defended Berbatov after the Bulgarian was the subject of much criticism for a penalty miss in the FA Cup 2008–09 semi-final against Everton, with Manchester United eventually losing to Everton in the penalty shoot-out.[34] Soon after, Berbatov scored the fifth of United's goals as they came back from 2–0 down at half-time to win 5–2 against his former team, Tottenham Hotspur on 25 April 2009.[35] Manchester United won the Premier League on 16 May 2009 with a 0–0 draw at home to Arsenal, to grant Berbatov his first career league title and make him the first Bulgarian to win the competition. In the same season Berbatov made 10 assists in the Premier League and finished joint second (along with Fabregas, Gerrard and Lampard) behind league leader Robin van Persie with 11.

Berbatov scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season against Wigan Athletic on 22 August 2009, scoring the second goal of a 5–0 away win.[36] On October 3, 2009, three days after an inspiring performance against Wolfsburg in the Champions League[37], he produced a sublime scissor-kick finish for the first of United's two equalizers against Sunderland A.F.C.[38]
[edit] International

Berbatov made his debut for Bulgaria in 1999. On 12 February 2000, he scored his first goal for the national side in a friendly match against Chile. On 14 October 2009, he scored a hat-trick in the 6:2 home win in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Georgia, enabling him to bring his goal tally for the national side to 46 goals, just one short of the all-time top scorer for Bulgaria Hristo Bonev. He is currently the captain of the team.
[edit] Personal life

On 15 October 2009, Berbatov's longtime girlfriend, Elena, gave birth to their first child, a girl named Dea, at a hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria.[39]
[edit] Career statistics
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Other[40] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
CSKA Sofia 1998–99 11 3 5 3 – 0 0 0 0 16 6
1999–00 27 14 4 2 – 2 0 0 0 33 16
2000–01 12 8 0 0 – 4 7 0 0 16 15
Total 50 25 9 5 – 6 7 0 0 65 37
Bayer Leverkusen 2000–01 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
2001–02 24 8 6 6 0 0 11 2 0 0 41 16
2002–03 24 3 0 0 1 0 7 2 0 0 31 5
2003–04 33 16 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 36 19
2004–05 33 20 1 1 0 0 10 5 0 0 44 26
2005–06 34 21 2 3 1 0 2 0 0 0 38 24
Total 154 68 12 13 4 0 30 9 0 0 200 90
Tottenham Hotspur 2006–07 33 12 5 3 3 1 8 7 0 0 49 23
2007–08 36 15 2 2 6 1 8 5 0 0 52 23
2008–09 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 70 27 7 5 9 2 16 12 0 0 102 46
Manchester United 2008–09 31 9 3 1 0 0 9 4 0 0 43 14
2009–10 9 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 12 3
Total 40 12 3 1 0 0 10 4 1 0 55 17
Career total 313 132 31 24 13 2 63 32 1 0 422 190

Statistics accurate as of match played 03 October 2009[41]
[edit] International goals

Updated to games played 14 October 2009. [42]
Dimitar Berbatov: International goals # Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. February 12, 2000 Valparaíso, Chile Chile 2-3 Loss Friendly
2. October 11, 2000 Copenhagen, Denmark Denmark 1-1 Draw FIFA World Cup 2002 Qualification
3. March 23, 2001 Sofia, Bulgaria Iceland 2-1 Win FIFA World Cup 2002 Qualification
4. June 6, 2001 Reykjavik, Iceland Iceland 1-1 Draw FIFA World Cup 2002 Qualification
5. September 1, 2001 Valletta, Malta Malta 2-0 Win FIFA World Cup 2002 Qualification
6. September 1, 2001 Valletta, Malta Malta 2-0 Win FIFA World Cup 2002 Qualification
7. August 21, 2002 Sofia, Bulgaria Germany 2-2 Draw Friendly
8. October 12, 2002 Sofia, Bulgaria Croatia 2-0 Win UEFA Euro 2004 Qualification
9. April 30, 2003 Sofia, Bulgaria Albania 2-0 Win Friendly
10. April 30, 2003 Sofia, Bulgaria Albania 2-0 Win Friendly
11. June 7, 2003 Sofia, Bulgaria Belgium 2-2 Draw UEFA Euro 2004 Qualification
12. August 20, 2003 Sofia, Bulgaria Lithuania 3-0 Win Friendly
13. September 6, 2003 Sofia, Bulgaria Estonia 2-0 Win UEFA Euro 2004 Qualification
14. September 10, 2003 Andorra la Vella, Andorra Andorra 3-0 Win UEFA Euro 2004 Qualification
15. September 10, 2003 Andorra la Vella, Andorra Andorra 3-0 Win UEFA Euro 2004 Qualification
16. March 31, 2004 Sofia, Bulgaria Russia 2-2 Draw Friendly
17. March 31, 2004 Sofia, Bulgaria Russia 2-2 Draw Friendly
18. April 28, 2004 Sofia, Bulgaria Cameroon 3-0 Win Friendly
19. April 28, 2004 Sofia, Bulgaria Cameroon 3-0 Win Friendly
20. September 4, 2004 Reykjavik, Iceland Iceland 3-1 Win FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification
21. September 4, 2004 Reykjavik, Iceland Iceland 3-1 Win FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification
22. October 9, 2004 Zagreb, Croatia Croatia 2-2 Draw FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification
23. October 13, 2004 Valletta, Malta Malta 4-1 Win FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification
24. October 13, 2004 Valletta, Malta Malta 4-1 Win FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification
25. August 17, 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria Turkey 3-1 Win Friendly
26. August 17, 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria Turkey 3-1 Win Friendly
27. September 7, 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria Iceland 3-2 Win FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification
28. October 8, 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria Hungary 2-0 Win FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification
29. November 12, 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria Georgia 6-2 Win Friendly
30. November 12, 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria Georgia 6-2 Win Friendly
31. November 16, 2005 Houston, TX Mexico 3-0 Win Friendly
32. February 7, 2007 Nicosia, Cyprus Cyprus 3-0 Win Friendly
33. February 7, 2007 Nicosia, Cyprus Cyprus 3-0 Win Friendly
34. June 2, 2007 Minsk, Belarus Belarus 2-0 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification
35. June 2, 2007 Minsk, Belarus Belarus 2-0 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification
36. September 12, 2007 Sofia, Bulgaria Luxembourg 3-0 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification
37. September 12, 2007 Sofia, Bulgaria Luxembourg 3-0 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification
38. October 17, 2007 Tirana, Albania Albania 1-1 Draw UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification
39. November 21, 2007 Celje, Slovenia Slovenia 2-0 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification
40. August 20, 2008 Zenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 Win Friendly
41. August 20, 2008 Zenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 Win Friendly
42. September 5, 2009 Sofia, Bulgaria Montenegro 4-1 Win FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualification
43. October 10, 2009 Larnaca, Cyprus Cyprus 1-4 Loss FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualification
44. October 14, 2009 Sofia, Bulgaria Georgia 6-2 Win FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualification
45. October 14, 2009 Sofia, Bulgaria Georgia 6-2 Win FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualification
46. October 14, 2009 Sofia, Bulgaria Georgia 6-2 Win FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualification
[edit] Honours
[edit] Club

CSKA Sofia

* Bulgarian Cup: 1999

Tottenham Hotspur

* Football League Cup: 2007–08

Manchester United

* Premier League: 2008–09
* FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

[edit] Individual

* Bulgarian Footballer of the Year: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008
* FA Premier League Player of the Month: April 2007
* PFA Team of the Year: 2006–07

[edit] References

1. ^ a b "Dimitar Berbatov: factfile - Manchester United". Manchester Evening News. 2 September 2008. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1065003_dimitar_berbatov_factfile?rss=yes. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
2. ^ Hugman, Barry J. (2008). The PFA Footballers Who's Who 2008–09. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8.
3. ^ "Players and staff: Dimitar Berbatov". Manchester United. 2 September 2008. http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={FE60904B-C2A8-4E60-9B05-700DBBC29BBC}§ion=playerProfile&teamid=458&bioid=93373. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
4. ^ "Berbatov angles for 'dream' move". BBC Sport. 18 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/7568809.stm. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
5. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/may/05/manchester-united-dimitar-berbatov-carlos-tevez
6. ^ "Berbatov Supports Bulgarian Nurses in Libya". Bulgaria News. 6 June 2007. http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_681282204. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
7. ^ "No dream duel for Berbatov". UEFA. 18 February 2003. http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=54545.html. Retrieved 10 March 2007.
8. ^ Blackburn, Martin (20 October 2007). "Toon-mad Berbatov slept in Shearer shirt". The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article365647.ece. Retrieved 23 October 2007. "He said: "Dimitar never missed a Newcastle game when it was on television. And Shearer was up there with Pelé as a God for him." Another pal, Stefan Damianov, recalled how Berbatov considered himself to be an honorary Geordie as he followed the Toon and grew up"
9. ^ "Toon-mad Berbatov slept in Shearer shirt", South Shields Gazette, 20 October 2007, http://www.shieldsgazette.com/nufc/Toonmad-Berbatov-slept-in-Shearer.3398269.jp, retrieved 23 October 2007
10. ^ "Tottenham's Berbatov was Newcastle mad". 19 October 2007. http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=61451. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
11. ^ "Berbatov excels in the spotlight to put Tottenham through". The Independent. 24 November 2006. http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/european/article2010040.ece. Retrieved 19 March 2007.
12. ^ "Dimitar Berbatov". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/bulgaria/players_to_watch/default.stm. Retrieved 20 May 2006.
13. ^ a b "How Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov played his way out of poverty". Daily Mirror. 13 September 2006. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/09/13/from-this-to-a-30m-superstar-115875-20735239/. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
14. ^ "United star Berbatov reveals kidnapping ordeal" (in English). Soccernet. 03 October 2009. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=682180&sec=england&cc=4716.
15. ^ "Lecce scatenato: dalla Bulgaria arriva Berbatov" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 15 June 2000. http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/2000/giugno/15/Lecce_scatenato_dalla_Bulgaria_arriva_ga_0_00061515933.shtml. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
16. ^ a b ""Che affare il Gila!" Intervista a Pantaleo Corvino (Calcio2000)" (in Italian). goal.com. 17 October 2008. http://www.goal.com/IT/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=916660. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
17. ^ "Nine for Berbatov". tottenhamhotspur.com. http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/nineforberbatov170506.html. Retrieved 18 May 2006.
18. ^ "Berbatov: Spurs on the 'up and up'". premierleague.com. http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enNewsLatest&id=1296628&type=com.fapl.website.news.NewsItem&categoryCode=News. Retrieved 20 May 2006.
19. ^ "Berbatov double sinks Birmingham". BBC Sport. 22 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/5206578.stm. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
20. ^ "Wenger: Berbatov Reminds Me Of Henry". Goal.com. 24 December 2007. http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=524780. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
21. ^ Stevenson, Jonathan (24 February 2008). "Tottenham 2–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7256729.stm. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
22. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (9 March 2008). "Tottenham 4–0 West Ham". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7272611.stm. Retrieved 10 March 2008.
23. ^ "Match Squad Update". Tottenham Hotspur. 23 August 2008. http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/matchsquadupdate230808.html. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
24. ^ "Spurs Told Berbatov He Wasn't Wanted At The Bridge". Goal.com. 1 September 2008. http://www.goal.com/en/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=843973. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
25. ^ "Ferguson cools Berbatov rumours". BBC Sport. 28 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7586497.stm. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
26. ^ "Man Utd complete Berbatov switch". BBC Sport. 1 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7592272.stm. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
27. ^ "Manchester United deal". Tottenham Hotspur. http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/manchesteruniteddeal020909.html. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
28. ^ "Man Utd complete Berbatov switch". BBC Sport. 1 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/7592272.stm. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
29. ^ Bartram, Steve (1 September 2008). "Reds sign Berbatov". Manchester United. http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=6617336. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
30. ^ "Berbatov not tempted by Man City". BBC Sport. 12 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7612934.stm. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
31. ^ "Liverpool 2–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 13 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/7601885.stm. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
32. ^ Hibbs, Ben (30 September 2008). "Berbatov Plays It Cool". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={F9E570E6-407E-44BC-800F-4A3110258114}&newsid=6619559. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
33. ^ Hassan, Nabil (17 January 2009). "Bolton 0–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7815605.stm. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
34. ^ "Sir Alex leaps to defence of Berbatov". soccernet.espn.go.com. 20 April 2009. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=639040&cc=5901. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
35. ^ Ashenden, Mark (25 April 2009). "Man Utd 5–2 Tottenham". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8000573.stm. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
36. ^ Bevan, Chris (22 August 2009). "Wigan 0-5 Man Utd". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8209298.stm. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
37. ^ "Richard Jolly: Berbatov takes his chance". http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=681423&sec=uefachampionsleague&root=uefachampionsleague&cc=5901.
38. ^ "Report: Manchester United vs Sunderland". http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/report?id=269981&league=ENG.1&cc=5901.
39. ^ "Dimitar Berbatov becomes father of baby girl". USA Today. 2009-10-16. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009-10-15-3688429056_x.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
40. ^ Includes other competitive competitions, including the FA Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
41. ^ Endlar, Andrew. "Dimitar Berbatov". StretfordEnd.co.uk. http://www.stretfordend.co.uk/playermenu/berbatov.html. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
42. ^ The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

[edit] External links
Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dimitar Berbatov

* Dimitar Berbatov FIFA competition record
* Official personal website of Dimitar Berbatov
* Dimitar Berbatov career stats at Soccerbase
* Leverkusen-who's who (German)