Aleksandar Shalamanov

Aleksandar Shalamanov skied Alpine events at the 1960 Squaw Valley (later Palisades Tahoe) Winter Olympics but he was primarily known in Bulgaria as a footballer. His career started with CSKA Sofia but he was best known for his time with Slavia Sofia. He was a three-time winner at the Bulgarian Cup (1963-64, 1966) and won the Bulgarian Championship in 1961. Shalamanov played for Bulgaria at the 1962 and 1966 FIFA World Cup and earned 42 caps in all. In 2011 he was chosen as the right defense on the all-time Bulgarian football team.

After ending his football career Shalamanov worked as a football coach. He played at a high-level as a volleyballer in Bulgaria, serving as an alternate for them at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Shalamanov’s son Stefan also skied at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. After his death, it was announced that the Slavia Sofia stadium would be renamed the Aleksandar Shalamanov Stadium.