Hristiyan Ivaylov Petrov

Hristiyan Petrov's move to SC Heerenveen in January 2025 marked the end of a five-year spell at CSKA Sofia, where he had come through the academy after arriving from Lokomotiv Plovdiv. He signed his first professional contract with CSKA in June 2020 and spent two loan periods at Litex Lovech, the second running from September 2021 to February 2022. His league debut for CSKA came in August 2021, and he later extended his contract with the club in December 2022. That same year he was named Best Progressing Youngster in Bulgaria's First Professional Football League.

He earned his first senior call-up in March 2023, making his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Montenegro, and has since gone on to collect further caps for the national side.

The transfer to Heerenveen came with a contract running to the middle of 2029. Petrov opened his account for the club in the Eredivisie, scoring and keeping a clean sheet in the same match against Feyenoord. His time in Sofia ended without a major trophy: Ludogorets took the league title during his years at the club, and CSKA were beaten in the 2021/22 Bulgarian Cup final.