Atanas Atanasov Chernev

Atanas Chernev grew up in the game at Botev Plovdiv, his hometown club. He signed his first professional contract with Botev Plovdiv and extended it in 2022 for a further three years, going on to make 54 league appearances and score twice for the senior side, with another 42 outings for the club's reserve team. That spell ended in June 2025, when his contract was terminated over unpaid wages.

A month later he moved to Portugal, joining Estrela da Amadora in the Primeira Liga, where he made 15 league appearances. In January 2026 he switched to German football on loan at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, a deal that carries a purchase option, and has made seven appearances for the 2. Bundesliga club since.

Chernev's biggest honour to date came with Botev Plovdiv, who beat Ludogorets 3–2 in the final to win the Bulgarian Cup in the 2023/2024 season. He had already built international experience at Under-21 level, earning 15 caps for Bulgaria between 2021 and 2024, before making his senior debut in October 2025 in a World Cup qualifier away to Spain. He played the full 90 minutes of a 0–4 defeat, a match in which he also scored an own goal, and has since added a second senior cap.