Aleksandar Blagov Tunchev (; born 10 July 1981) is a Bulgarian former footballer who played as a defender. He is currently head coach at Arda Kardzhali. Club career Bulgaria Tunchev started his career in his hometown of Pazardzhik with local team Hebar. After that he played for Belasitsa Petrich, later joining Lokomotiv Plovdiv in June 2002. With Lokomotiv they became Champions of Bulgaria in 2004 and also won the Bulgarian Super Cup that same year. In 2006, he signed for CSKA Sofia. In 2007, he was appointed captain after Valentin Iliev was stripped of the CSKA captaincy. They were crowned champions in 2008, and also won the Bulgarian Cup and Supercup in 2006. In June 2008, CSKA was in a deep financial crisis and were forced to sell their key players, including Tunchev. Leicester City 2008–09 season Tunchev joined Leicester City on 5 July 2008 for a fee of £375,000, signing a three-year contract. He made his debut in a 2–0 home win over MK Dons on 9 August 2008, scoring his first league goal in a 2–2 home draw against Walsall on 21 October. Tunchev was peerless as he guided the club's defence through the first half of the 2008–09 season, losing just two league games. Knee injury His season was cut short when he suffered a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a 2–1 FA Cup replay defeat to Crystal Palace on 14 January 2009. It was Tunchev's "first big injury", his previous being a pulled hamstring. Nonetheless, he was awarded a medal after Leicester finished the season as League One champions, winning promotion to the Championship. On 20 July 2009, Tunchev was back in full training after recovering from injury. He played his first game a day later as a substitute in a pre-season friendly against Mansfield Town. He made his first competitive appearance in a 2–1 League Cup defeat to Preston North End on 25 August. However, he suffered an injury to his left knee in a 2–1 defeat to Preston on 26 September. Tunchev had managed two league games before undergoing another operation on his right knee on 30 September. Restricted to crutches ever since, he returned to the training ground in early October for his rehabilitation. It was thought that Tunchev could return to training in November. Then-manager Nigel Pearson however, refused to rush him back into the