Milen Zhelev
Defender · Oţelul · №2
Recent matches
| Date | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
Oţelul
Rapid
Liga I
|
0:1 | |
FC Voluntari
Oţelul
Liga I
|
2:2 | |
Oţelul
Argeș Pitești
Liga I
|
1:0 | |
Oţelul
Universitatea Craiova
Liga I
|
1:1 | |
Petrolul Ploiești
Oţelul
Liga I
|
1:0 | |
Oţelul
Dinamo București
Liga I
|
1:1 | |
Uta Arad
Oţelul
Liga I
|
2:2 | |
|
Oţelul
Uta Arad
Liga I
|
1:0 | |
FCSB
Oţelul
Liga I
|
4:0 | |
Oţelul
AFC Hermannstadt
Liga I
|
2:0 |
Season statistics
| Competition | Season | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Liga I | 2025 | 9 |
| Liga I | 2026 | 7 |
About the player
Milen Zhelev started out at Slavia Sofia without breaking into the first team, and it was a loan spell at Akademik Sofia that gave him his first taste of senior football. From there he worked his way up through Vidima-Rakovski Sevlievo, Zagorets Nova Zagora and Botev Galabovo before a move to Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa in 2015 put him on a firmer footing, with 59 appearances and three goals across two seasons.
A free transfer to Beroe Stara Zagora followed in 2017, where he spent three seasons. His move to Arda Kardzhali in 2020: Arda reached the final of the Bulgarian Cup in the 2020–21 season, though they finished as runners-up. Zhelev's form there also earned him a first call-up to the Bulgaria national squad in November 2016, for a World Cup qualifier against Belarus, though he did not make the matchday squad and has not won a senior cap since.
In July 2023, Zhelev left Bulgaria for the first time, joining Oțelul Galați on a free transfer. Primarily a right-back, though comfortable on the left or in a defensive midfield role, he has continued to feature regularly for the club since that run.
