Velizar Emilov Popov (Велизар Емилов Попов), born 7
February 1976, is a former Bulgarian football player and current
UEFA PRO Licensed Football Head Coach.

In his Career as a player he has played for PFC Lokomotiv
Plovdiv, FC Armeec Sliven, PFC Hebar Pazardzhik and PFC
Spartak Plovdiv.

Velizar Popov is the only Bulgarian Head Coach to have managed abroad 10 different teams in 8 different countries including 2 National Teams and one of the best ambassadors of the Bulgarian coaching guild abroad, especially in Asia. He is the first Bulgarian Head Coach who won historic treble with a 100% winning record in 2013 abroad and the Group Stage in AFC Cup. Popov is also the first Bulgarian who has ever worked in the Moldovan Premier League in 2011, Thailand Premier League in 2014 and 2017, and in the Malaysian Super League in 2016 and Vietnam League 1 in 2023.
In 2019 Velizar Popov became the first Bulgarian Head Coach to win the Group Stage and a medal from the SEA Games as well. Popov is a highly qualified and ambitious professional football coach with over 22 years experience coaching across the world with extensive stints in Europe, Asia and Middle East, gained tremendous experience with more than 200 official games as a Head Coach in Senior Premier Leagues and International competitions last 12 years in Europe – Bulgarian Premier League, Denmark, Moldovan Premier League, Asia – Thailand Premier League, Malaysian Super League, Vietnam League 1, Maldives National Team, Myanmar National Olympic Team and in the Gulf – Oman Premier
League, participated in international competitions such as World Cup Qualifiers, AFC Cup, AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, UEFA Europa League, AFF Championship and SEA Games – an incredible career journey and forged a formidable reputation for improving players and transforming teams.