Birsent Karagaren
Bulgarian footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Birsent Hamdi Karagaren (Bulgarian: Бирсент Хамди Карагарен; born 6 December 1992) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Arda Kardzhali and the Bulgaria national team. He made his debut for his country in October 2019.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Birsent Hamdi Karagaren | ||
| Date of birth | 6 December 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Asenovgrad, Bulgaria | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Arda Kardzhali | ||
| Number | 99 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Asenovets | |||
| –2011 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2012 | Asenovets | 26 | (5) |
| 2012 | Shumen | 12 | (0) |
| 2013 | Etar 1924 | 2 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Vereya | 28 | (23) |
| 2014–2016 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 62 | (9) |
| 2017–2018 | Dunav Ruse | 48 | (11) |
| 2018–2023 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 139 | (23) |
| 2023–2025 | CSKA 1948 | 79 | (9) |
| 2025 | CSKA 1948 II | 1 | (0) |
| 2025– | Arda Kardzhali | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019– | Bulgaria | 13 | (0) |
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:59, 18 July 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:15, 15 November 2021 (UTC) | |||
Career
Early career
Born in Asenovgrad, Karagaren played as a youth for local club Asenovets and Lokomotiv Plovdiv. He also spent time in Shumen, Etar 1924 and Vereya, before joined Lokomotiv Plovdiv in 2014.
Dunav Ruse
On 19 January 2017 Karagaren signed for Dunav Ruse from Lokomotiv Plovdiv.[2] He made his debut for the team on 17 February 2017 in a 0:4 loss to Beroe.[3] In the next match for the league on 24 February, he scored both goals for the 2:0 win against Botev Plovdiv, becoming a man of the match.[4] He scored again in the match against Levski Sofia on 28 February 2017.[5]
CSKA 1948
In January 2023, Karagaren became part of the ranks of CSKA 1948.[6] On 25 July 2024, he scored the only goal in the 1:0 victory at home against Montenegrin team Budućnost Podgorica in a UEFA Conference League qualifying match, securing CSKA 1948's first ever win in a European club tournament.[7]
Arda Kardzhali
In June 2025, it was confirmed that he had joined Arda Kardzhali on a two-year contract.[8] On 31 July 2025, Karagaren netted the equalizing goal for his team in the 2:2 second leg away draw with Finnish team HJK in a UEFA Conference League qualifying match, which was decided in Arda's favour following a penalty shootout. This was the first match in which Arda managed to find the net in European tournaments and also the first time in which it was able to eliminate an opponent and advance to a further round.[9]
International career
Karagaren received his first call-up for senior Bulgarian squad in October 2019 for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Montenegro and England on 11 and 14 October.[10] He made his debut on 11 October 2019 in a game against Montenegro. He substituted Wanderson in the 77th minute.[11]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 23 October 2021[12]
| Club | Season | Division | League | Cup[a] | Europe | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Asenovets | 2011–12 | Third League | 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 | 5 | |
| Shumen 2010 | 2012–13 | Second League | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | |
| Etar 1924 | 2012–13 | First League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| Vereya | 2013–14 | Third League | 28 | 23 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 | 23 | |
| Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 2014–15 | First League | 30 | 5 | 5 | 1 | – | 35 | 6 | |
| 2015–16 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | – | 28 | 3 | |||
| 2016–17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | |||
| Dunav Ruse | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | 18 | 5 | |||
| 2017–18 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 6 | ||
| Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 2018–19 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | 35 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20 | 28 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 9 | ||
| 2020–21 | 31 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 5 | ||
| 2021–22 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 283 | 62 | 23 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 317 | 68 | ||
- Includes Bulgarian Supercup matches.
Honours
Club
- Lokomotiv Plovdiv
