 Born in Tsonevo, Dalgopol Municipality, Varna Province, Kolev joined Cherno More Varna at the age of ten and progressed through the club's youth system.He made his professional debut on 13 August 1967, scoring a goal in a 3–2 home loss against CSKA Sofia at Yuri Gagarin Stadium.In 1972, after spending over eleven years at Cherno More, Kolev joined CSKA Sofia, where he won four A Group titles and three Bulgarian Cups.