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Nikola Kotkov
	Nikola Kotkov, 1969
Personal information
Full name	Nikola Todorov Kotkov
Date of birth	9 December 1938
Place of birth	Sofia, Bulgaria
Date of death	30 June 1971 (aged 32)
Place of death	Vitinya Pass, Bulgaria
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
	Lokomotiv Sofia
Senior career*
Years	Team
1956–1968	Lokomotiv Sofia
1969	ZHSK Slavia
1969–1971	Levski Sofia
Total
International career
1956–1959	Bulgaria U19
1959–1961	Bulgaria U21
1961–1969	Bulgaria
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nikola Todorov Kotkov (Bulgarian: Никола Тодоров Котков) (9 December 1938 – 30 June 1971), nicknamed Koteto (Котето, "The Kitten") was a Bulgarian footballer who played as a striker.

Born in the capital Sofia, Kotkov started his football career as a Lokomotiv Sofia trainee and went on to spend much of it (1956–1969) with the club, winning the Bulgarian Championship in 1964. He then played for Levski Sofia, until his death in 1971. Kotkov died together with his friend and teammate Georgi Asparuhov in a traffic accident in the Vitinya Pass of the Balkan Mountains, en route to Vratsa. With Levski, Kotkov became once again champion in 1970, winning the Bulgarian Cup the same year.

Kotkov played a total of 322 matches and scored 163 goals in the Bulgarian Championship and was given the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award in 1964. For the Bulgaria national team, he had 26 caps and scored 12 goals, taking part in the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England.

Kotkov was known for his technique, pinpoint passing and skillful free kick taking.

Statistics

National teams — 59 matches, 33 goals
Bulgarian championship — 322 matches, 163 goals — 286/145 for Lokomotiv, 45/25 for Levski
European club tournaments — 11 matches, 10 goals — CEC-6, CWC-5
First match — with Lokomotiv Sofia 1956
Last match — with Levski against CSKA — 28 June 1971
All - 392 matches, 206 goals