Career
In summer of 2001 Kolev joined CSKA Sofia and was loaned to Beroe Stara Zagora on a three-month deal. He made his debut for Beroe on 10 November 2001, keeping a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw against Levski Sofia. In early 2002 he returned to CSKA. On 11 May 2002, Kolev made his first appearance for CSKA in a 0–2 loss against Slavia Sofia.
After staying for two years with Romanian side Oțelul Galați, Kolev signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Chernomorets Burgas on 24 February 2010, moving on a free transfer.
As a goalkeeper for Chernomorets, he becomes a second choice goalkeeper behind Pascal Borel. After being named on the bench for Chernomorets"s eleven games of the 2009-2010 season, Kolev finally made his debut at home against Slavia Sofia on 2 May in a 2–2 league draw.
In the first half of the following season Kolev failed to make a single appearance in the A PFG, after he was named on the bench for all 15 league matches. In April 2011 Borel suffered a season-ending injury and Kolev became a first-choice goalkeeper.
On 7 June 2011, he signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him at Chernomorets until 2013.
On 4 December 2011, Kolev scored a penalty against Botev Plovdiv in a match of the Bulgarian Cup, but it proved to be a consolation, as Chernomorets lost 2–1 at Hristo Botev Stadium. He left Chernomorets Burgas on 16 June 2013. In July 2013, Kolev signed with CSKA Sofia.
He joined the coaching staff following his subsequent retirement.
In July 2015, several months later, after CSKA Sofia was sent to the third division due to the bad financial situation in the team, Kolev came out of retirement and is back on the field He started as the first choice goalkeeper in the league, while Anatoli Gospodinov plays in the cup matches.
In the first 9 matches in V Group, he kept clean sheets. Kolev was first called up to the Bulgaria squad at the age of 26.
He made his debut for Plamen Markov"s Bulgaria in a friendly against Spain on 20 November 2002, when he was a CSKA Sofia player, coming on as a second-half substitute during 0–1 defeat at Los Cármenes in Granada.
Kolev was Bulgaria"s third-choice goalkeeper, behind Zdravko Zdravkov and Dimitar Ivankov, at the Union of European Football Associations Euro 2004, remaining an unused substitute in the tournament. On 14 February 2012, Kolev was selected as goalkeeper for Lyuboslav Penev"s first match in charge, a friendly against Hungary. On 29 February, he made a substitute appearance, replacing Nikolay Mihaylov on 63 minutes in a 1–1 draw.
lieutenant was Kolev"s first match for Bulgaria since the friendly with Bosnia and Herzegovina in August 2008.
