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Hristo Stoichkov

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In this Bulgarian name, the patronymic is Stoichkov and the family name is Stoichkov.
Hristo Stoichkov
Stoichkov in 2016
Personal information
Full name Hristo Stoichkov
Date of birth (1966-02-08) 8 February 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Maritsa Plovdiv
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1982 FC Yuriy Gagarin 16 (3)
1982–1983 Hebros Harmanli 32 (14)
1984–1990 CSKA Sofia 119 (81)
1990–1995 Barcelona 151 (76)
1995–1996 Parma 23 (5)
1996–1998 Barcelona 24 (7)
1997–1998 → CSKA Sofia (loan) 5 (3)
1998 Al-Nassr 2 (1)
1998–1999 Kashiwa Reysol 27 (12)
2000–2002 Chicago Fire 51 (17)
2003 D.C. United 21 (5)
Total 454 (220)
International career
1986–1987 Bulgaria U21 17 (8)
1986–1999 Bulgaria 83 (37[1])
Managerial career
2004–2007 Bulgaria
2007 Celta Vigo
2009–2010 Mamelodi Sundowns
2012–2013 Litex Lovech
2013 CSKA Sofia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov (Bulgarian: Христо Стоичков Стоичков; born 8 February 1966) is a Bulgarian former professional footballer and current football commentator for TUDN. A prolific forward, he is widely regarded as the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. He was the runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1992 and 1994 and received the Ballon d'Or in 1994. In 2004, Stoichkov was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[2]

At the club level, Stoichkov spent six years at CSKA Sofia and became the top goalscorer in Europe in 1990, receiving the European Golden Shoe. In 1990, he joined Barcelona, where he earned the Spanish nickname "El Pistolero" (lit. 'The Gunslinger') and was part of Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team," which won four consecutive La Liga titles and the 1992 European Cup. During his time at the club, he formed a prolific strike partnership with Romário. Cruyff played a crucial role in bringing him to Barcelona, where he quickly developed into one of the most prolific forwards in the world.

Stoichkov was a member of the Bulgaria national team that finished fourth at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where he emerged as the top scorer with six goals, earning the World Cup Golden Boot. He was ranked as the third-best player at the World Cup, following Romário and Roberto Baggio, and received the World Cup Bronze Ball. In addition to his exceptional footballing talent, he was known for his fiery temperament on the pitch.[3] During his playing career, he was also nicknamed The Dagger (Камата).[4]

Club career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

Stoichkov was born in the city of Plovdiv.

Stoichkov began his football career playing for his hometown club Maritsa Plovdiv at the age of 11. In 1982, he transferred to Hebros Harmanli, where he scored 14 goals in the third level of Bulgarian football.

CSKA Sofia

[edit]

In early 1985, Stoichkov joined CSKA Sofia. At the beginning of his five-year tenure at CSKA, Stoichkov (who later became known for his short temper) was involved in a fight during the 1985 Bulgarian Cup Final, which resulted in an initial lifelong ban that was later reduced to a one-year suspension.[5] He made his comeback for CSKA on 30 April 1986, in a 3–1 away victory over Sliven in a match of the Cup of the Soviet Army. On 21 May, Stoichkov opened the scoring in the tournament final against Lokomotiv Sofia, which CSKA won 2–0.[6]

He continued his progress during the 1986–87 season, becoming a regular on the left side of CSKA's attack. Stoichkov earned his first A Group title winner's medal at the end of the season, scoring 6 league goals.

Stoichkov went on to win the European Golden Boot with CSKA by netting 38 goals in 30 matches during the 1989–90 A Group season.[3]

Barcelona

[edit]

After five years with CSKA, Stoichkov transferred to Barcelona. In his first season with the club, Stoichkov was suspended for two months for stomping on a referee's foot,[7] but he still managed to score 14 league goals and an additional six in the European Cup Winners' Cup. He became part of manager Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team" and contributed to one of the most successful eras in the club's history, winning La Liga four consecutive times (from 1991 to 1994) and the European Cup after defeating Sampdoria in the 1992 final.[8] During his time at Barcelona, he became an idol among the club's fans and played alongside Romário in the attack. Stoichkov was also known for ensuring Romário attended training sessions on time, as the latter often indulged in late-night festivities.[9] Stoichkov was twice named runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, in 1992 and 1994, and he won the 1994 Ballon d'Or after leading his national team to the 1994 World Cup semi-finals.[3]

Later career

[edit]

Stoichkov then had a brief spell in Italy with Parma, scoring a total of seven goals, before soon returning to FC Barcelona, where he played until early 1998. He also had a second stint with CSKA Sofia in the spring of 1998.[10] In April 1998, he signed a two-match contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, helping them win the Asian Cup Winners' Cup. In the semi-final against Kopetdag, he earned a penalty and assisted the winning goal, and in the final against Suwon Bluewings, he scored the only goal in the 12th minute. For those two games, Hristo received $200,000. He subsequently went to Japan to play with Kashiwa Reysol, before finishing his career in the United States with the Chicago Fire and D.C. United, winning the U.S. Open Cup (and scoring the first goal in the final) with the former.[3]

International career

[edit]

Stoichkov debuted for the Bulgaria national team in a UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying match against Belgium on 23 September 1987. He scored his first international goal in his fourth appearance, a 3–2 friendly defeat of Qatar in Doha.[11]

During qualification for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Stoichkov scored five goals, helping Bulgaria qualify for its first major tournament since the 1986 World Cup. At the tournament finals, he was awarded the World Cup Golden Boot as the joint top goal scorer (alongside Oleg Salenko), netting six goals, and he also received the Bronze Ball award. Stoichkov led Bulgaria past Germany in the quarter-finals with a 2–1 shock result, as Germany were the defending champions. In the semi-finals, Bulgaria lost 2–1 to Italy, and they subsequently fell to Sweden in the third-place play-off, losing 4–0.[3]

Bulgaria finished second in the qualifying group for Euro 1996 behind Germany. Stoichkov scored ten goals for his team during the qualifiers, helping Bulgaria qualify as one of the six best runners-up. In the first match against Germany in Sofia, Bulgaria was 2–0 down at half-time. Stoichkov equalized with two penalty goals, and Emil Kostadinov also scored, resulting in a 3–2 victory. Bulgaria lost the second match in Germany 3–1. During the finals, Bulgaria lost 3–1 in the decisive group match against a strong France side; in the other match, Spain defeated Romania 2–1, leading to Bulgaria's elimination. In that tournament, Stoichkov scored three goals in three matches.[3]

He was also part of the squad that was eliminated in the first round of the 1998 World Cup. Bulgaria was not nearly as strong as in previous years, earning only one point from a 0–0 draw against Paraguay and scoring just one goal through Kostadinov in a 6–1 defeat by Spain. Stoichkov retired from international football in 1999 with 37 goals in 83 appearances.[3] His last game was during the Euro 2000 qualification against England, which ended 1–1; Stoichkov assisted Georgi Markov for the equalizing goal from a free kick. In the same game, he was substituted for Martin Petrov, who made his debut in the Bulgarian shirt. Ironically, both are Bulgaria's only goalscorers in a UEFA Euro tournament: Stoichkov was the sole scorer in 1996 with three goals, while Petrov scored in 2004 in the 2–1 loss against Italy. Bulgaria failed to qualify for Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands after that match, as they needed a win to keep their chances alive.

He later served as coach of the Bulgaria national team from 2004 to April 2007.[3]

Style of play

[edit]

"That season [1993–1994] Romário and Stoichkov were a force of nature, blowing everyone and everything to bits."

— Football writer Sid Lowe on the strike partnership at Barcelona.[9]

Stoichkov possessed explosive pace and was a creative, tenacious, and prolific left-footed forward. Primarily used as a striker, he was also capable of playing in a creative role or as a second striker, thanks to his ability to provide assists for teammates,[12][13] forming a strike partnership with Romário at Barcelona. Occasionally, he played as a left winger during his time at the club, although he was also capable of playing on the right.[14][15] In his early years, he also played as a left full-back. A powerful, physically strong, and technically gifted player, Stoichkov was known for his explosive acceleration, dribbling ability at speed, and his tendency to take unpredictable, powerful shots on goal.[16][17] As the top goalscorer at the 1994 World Cup, he was also renowned for his prowess at taking free kicks and penalties,[18] and he was also an excellent crosser and passer of the ball.[19] Manager Dimitar Dimitrov described Stoichkov as "one of the greatest players of all time" in 2006 and as a player who had "a winning mentality."[20]

Stoichkov faced criticism for his work rate at times,[21] and he gained a reputation for his aggressive temperament on the pitch despite his evident talent. He could frequently be seen arguing with referees and opponents alike.[22] During Euro 1996, after Bulgaria's final group stage match against France, Stoichkov was accused by French defender Marcel Desailly of making insulting remarks regarding Desailly's race.[23] Throughout his playing career, Stoichkov was often referred to by the nickname The Dagger (Камата).[4]

In 2006, Stoichkov was sued by a former American University student whose leg he broke with a violent tackle during a friendly match for D.C. United in 2003. The case was settled out of court in 2007 with undisclosed financial terms.[24] The student's coach described Stoichkov's challenge as "criminal." Ray Hudson, who was the coach of D.C. United at the time, referred to it as a "rash tackle." Following an investigation by Major League Soccer (MLS), Stoichkov received a two-game suspension and a fine of US$2,000.[25]

Media

[edit]

Stoichkov appears in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, having been included in the FIFA 15 Ultimate Team Legends.[26][27][28]

In 2018, Hristo Stoichkov published his authorized biography titled *Hristo Stoichkov: The Story*.[29] The official unveiling of the autobiography took place in November and was attended by numerous footballers, other sports figures, and former Bulgarian presidents, including Petar Stoyanov, Georgi Parvanov, and Rosen Plevneliev. Notably, former Spanish referee Ildefonso Urízar Azpitarte, who had sent off Stoichkov during the first match of the 1990 Spanish Super Cup final, had the opportunity to symbolically stomp on Stoichkov's foot during the event.[30]

Managerial career

[edit]

In the 2003–04 season, Hristo Stoichkov began his managerial career as a forwards coach at Barcelona. Following the resignation of Bulgarian national team manager Plamen Markov after the team's first-round exit from UEFA Euro 2004, Stoichkov was appointed as the new national team manager on July 15, 2004.

However, his tenure as manager got off to a rocky start, as he failed to lead Bulgaria to qualification for the 2006 World Cup. Stoichkov's fiery temperament, which had characterized his playing days, carried over into his coaching style. This led to several proven players quitting the national team due to personal conflicts with him. A notable incident occurred on September 5, 2005, during a match against Sweden when Stoichkov was sent off for insulting the referee.

The most significant setback in his management came on October 12, 2006, when Stiliyan Petrov, the team captain, announced that he would no longer play for Bulgaria as long as Stoichkov was at the helm. This marked the third player and the second captain to leave the squad due to disagreements with Stoichkov. However, on March 17, 2007, Petrov revealed that he had a private conversation with Stoichkov, where they were able to resolve their differences, leading to his return to the national team.[31][32]

On 10 April 2007, the Bulgarian Football Union announced that they had accepted the resignation of Stoichkov from his position with the national team. This decision was a result of the team's poor performance in the ongoing Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, which was followed by widespread criticism and debate regarding the manager's capabilities. The specific match that intensified pressure on Stoichkov was the 0–0 home draw against Albania, despite the fact that the Bulgarians generally controlled the game and struck the post twice. He had a brief and disappointing tenure as manager at Celta Vigo, where he was dismissed following the team's decline into the lower reaches of the Spanish Second Division.

On 29 June 2009, Stoichkov moved to Mamelodi Sundowns, replacing Henri Michel.[33] On 16 March 2010, he resigned from Mamelodi Sundowns, and the former South Africa national team manager Trott Moloto was appointed caretaker until a full-time replacement could be found.[34]

In 2011, the Vietnam Football Federation invited Stoichkov to become the head manager of the Vietnam national team;[35] however, he declined the position. In the 2011–12 season, he served as an advisor for the Russian club Rostov.[36]

In January 2012, Stoichkov was appointed manager of the Bulgarian side Litex Lovech, replacing Lyuboslav Penev, who left to become the manager of the Bulgaria national team. In May 2013, Stoichkov was recognized as the A PFG Manager of the Season following a vote by professional footballers in the Bulgarian league.[37] In June 2013, he was named the manager of the Bulgarian powerhouse—and former club—CSKA Sofia, but resigned one month later after losing faith in the troubled club.

Personal life

[edit]

Stoichkov is married to Mariana, and they have two daughters: Hristina and Mihaela.[38] During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was one of the public figures in Bulgaria who strongly supported the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and criticized the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy in his country.[39]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[40][41][42][43]
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Hebros 1982–83 V Group 11 4 – – – 11 4
1983–84 21 10 – – – 21 10
Total 32 14 – – – 32 14
CSKA Sofia 1984–85 A Group 11 0 3 0 – – 14 0
1985–86 0 0 2 2 – – 2 2
1986–87 25 6 2 0 — 7[c] 1 — 34 7
1987–88 27 14 4 4 — 7[d] 5 — 38 23
1988–89 26 23 7 3 — 8[e] 7 — 41 33
1989–90 30 38 5 7 — 3[d] 2 1[f] 1 39 48
Total 119 81 23 16 — 25 16 1 1 168 113
Barcelona 1990–91 La Liga 24 14 5 2 — 8[e] 6 1[g] 0 38 22
1991–92 32 17 1 1 — 9[d] 4 1[g] 0 43 22
1992–93 34 20 4 0 — 5[h] 0 3[i] 3 46 23
1993–94 34 16 4 0 — 8[h] 7 2[g] 1 48 24
1994–95 27 9 2 2 — 8[h] 3 2[g] 3 39 17
Total 151 76 16 5 0 0 36 20 11 7 214 108
Parma 1995–96 Serie A 23 5 2 0 — 5[e] 2 — 30 7
Barcelona 1996–97 La Liga 22 7 4 0 — 7[e] 0 2[g] 1 35 8
1997–98 2 0 1 0 — 2[h] 1 1[j] 0 6 1
Total 24 7 5 0 0 0 9 1 3 1 41 9
CSKA Sofia 1997–98 A Group 4 2 1 1 — — 5 3
Al-Nassr 1997–98 Saudi Premier League 2 1 — 2 1
Kashiwa Reysol 1998 J1 League 16 8 1 0 0 0 — — 17 8
1999 11 4 0 0 1 1 — — 12 5
Total 27 12 1 0 1 1 — — 29 13
Chicago Fire 2000 MLS 18 9 3 1 21 10
2001 17 6 3 2 20 8
2002 16 2 0 0 16 2
Total 51 17 6 3 57 23
D.C. United 2003 MLS 21 5 3 1 24 6
Total 452 219 57 26 1 1 77 40 15 9 602 294
  1. ^ Includes Bulgarian Cup, Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia, Emperor's Cup, U.S. Open Cup
  2. ^ Includes J.League Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup
  4. ^ a b c Appearances in European Cup
  5. ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  6. ^ Appearance in Bulgarian Supercup
  7. ^ a b c d e Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España
  8. ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  9. ^ Two appearances and one goal in Supercopa de España, two appearances and one goal in UEFA Super Cup, one appearance and one goal in Intercontinental Cup
  10. ^ Appearance in UEFA Super Cup

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[11]
National team Year Apps Goals
Bulgaria 1987 3 0
1988 12 4
1989 8 1
1990 4 0
1991 3 2
1992 5 2
1993 6 4
1994 11 9
1995 7 7
1996 5 5
1997 4 1
1998 10 1
1999 5 1
Total 83 37
Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Stoichkov goal.[11]
List of international goals scored by Hristo Stoichkov
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 21 January 1988 Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Qatar 3–2 3–2 Friendly
2 9 August 1988 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway  Norway 1–1 1–1 Friendly
3 24 August 1988 Stadion Hetman, Białystok, Poland  Poland 1–3 2–3 Friendly
4 21 September 1988 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Soviet Union 2–2 2–2 Friendly
5 11 October 1989 Yuri Gagarin Stadium, Varna, Bulgaria  Greece 4–0 4–0 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 25 September 1991 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Italy 2–0 2–1 Friendly
7 16 October 1991 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  San Marino 2–0 4–0 UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
8 19 August 1992 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Mexico 1–1 1–1 Friendly
9 9 September 1992 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  France 1–0 2–0 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
10 28 April 1993 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Finland 1–0 2–0 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
11 12 May 1993 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Israel 1–0 2–2 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
12 8 September 1993 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Sweden 1–0 1–1 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
13 13 October 1993 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Austria 2–0 4–1 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
14 26 June 1994 Soldier Field, Chicago, United States  Greece 1–0 4–0 1994 FIFA World Cup
15 2–0
16 30 June 1994 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, United States  Argentina 1–0 2–0 1994 FIFA World Cup
17 5 July 1994 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States  Mexico 1–0 1–1 (3–1 p. 1994 FIFA World Cup
18 10 July 1994 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States  Germany 1–1 2–1 1994 FIFA World Cup
19 13 July 1994 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States  Italy 1–2 1–2 1994 FIFA World Cup
20 16 November 1994 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Moldova 1–0 4–1 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
21 3–1
22 14 December 1994 Arms Park, Cardiff, Wales  Wales 3–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
23 26 April 1995 Stadionul Republican, Chișinău, Moldova  Moldova 2–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
24 3–0
25 7 June 1995 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Germany 1–2 3–2 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
26 2–2
27 6 September 1995 Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania  Albania 1–0 1–1 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
28 11 October 1995 Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia  Georgia 1–2 1–2 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
29 15 November 1995 Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany  Germany 1–0 1–3 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
30 28 May 1996 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Macedonia 2–0 3–0 Friendly
31 2 June 1996 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  United Arab Emirates 2–0 4–1 Friendly
32 9 June 1996 Elland Road, Leeds, England  Spain 1–0 1–1 UEFA Euro 1996
33 13 June 1996 St James' Park, Newcastle, England  Romania 1–0 1–0 UEFA Euro 1996
34 18 June 1996  France 1–2 1–3 UEFA Euro 1996
35 8 June 1997 Neftochimik Stadium, Burgas, Bulgaria  Luxembourg 1–0 4–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
36 5 June 1998 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Algeria 1–0 2–0 Friendly
— 19 February 1999 Mong Kok Stadium, Mong Kok, Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong League XI 1–0 3–0 Carlsberg Cup, considered unofficial friendly
37 31 March 1999 Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg  Luxembourg 1–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying

Managerial statistics

[edit]
As of 8 July 2013.
Team From To Competition Record
G W D L Win % GF GA GD
Bulgaria 15 July 2004 10 April 2007 Competitive 15 6 6 3 040.00 24 20 +4
Friendlies[a] 14 7 5 2 050.00 24 14 +10
Total 29 13 11 5 044.83 48 34 +14
Celta Vigo April 2007 8 October 2007 League 16 7 1 8 043.75 18 22 –4
Copa del Rey 1 0 0 1 000.00 1 2 –1
Total 17 7 1 9 041.18 19 24 –5
Mamelodi Sundowns 29 June 2009 16 March 2010 Premier Soccer League 30 16 8 6 053.33 43 24 +19
Total 30 16 8 6 053.33 43 24 +19
Litex Lovech 5 January 2012 31 May 2013 Bulgarian A Professional Football Group 46 25 9 12 054.35 89 38 +51
Bulgarian Cup 8 5 1 2 062.50 14 4 +10
Total 54 30 10 14 055.56 103 42 +61
CSKA Sofia 5 June 2013 8 July 2013 Bulgarian A Professional Football Group 0 0 0 0 !— 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 !— 0 0 0
Career totals League 92 48 18 26 052.17 150 84 +66
Cup 9 5 1 3 055.56 15 6 +9
Competitive 15 6 6 3 040.00 24 20 +4
Friendlies 14 7 5 2 050.00 24 14 +10
Total 130 66 30 34 050.77 213 124 +89

Honours

[edit]

Player

[edit]

CSKA Sofia[3]

Barcelona[3]

Parma

Al-Nassr

Kashiwa Reysol

Chicago Fire

Bulgaria[3]

Individual

Records

Manager

[edit]

Mamelodi Sundowns

Individual

Further honours

[edit]
  • In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Bulgaria by the Bulgarian Football Union as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.[66]
  • In 2011 he was named honorary consul of Bulgaria in Barcelona. In October 2017 he was removed from the position on the request of the Spanish government over his criticisms of this government (especially the deputy prime minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría) in relation with the Catalan independence referendum, as well as the fact that he lives mainly in the United States.[67]

Barcelona (official)

[edit]
  1. Copa Generalitat: 1991, 1993
  2. Trofeo Ciudad de La Línea: 1991
  3. Trofeo Ciudad de Marbella: 1993
  4. Teresa Herrera Trophy: 1990, 1993
  5. Trofeo Ciudad de Oviedo: 1996
  6. Joan Gamper Trophy: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Includes Kirin Cup

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Stoichkov: A gifted bad boy. FIFA.com
  2. ^ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Stoichkov: A gifted bad boy". FIFA.com. Retrieved 18 March 2015
  4. ^ a b "Hristo Stoichkov Profile of an Icon". 11 November 2015. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  5. ^ First XI: A burning hatred – ESPN FC Archived 16 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Soccernet.espn.go.com (13 October 2011). Retrieved on 10 June 2013.
  6. ^ "Шампионски гол в дъжда прави Ицо символ на победата" (in Bulgarian). temasport.com. 23 March 2016. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  7. ^ The singular genius of the mad boy Hristo Archived 12 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. heraldscotland.com (16 April 2007)
  8. ^ "Barcelona v Milan revisited: The night in 1994 the Dream died". The Guardian. 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  9. ^ a b Lowe, Sid (2013). "Fear and Loathing in La Liga: The True Story of Barcelona and Real Madrid". p. 288. Random House
  10. ^ "Честит рожден ден на Христо Стоичков". Bulgarian Football Union. 8 February 2019. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  11. ^ a b c "Hristo Stoichkov - Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  12. ^ "Caclcio Dal Mundo" [Football from the World]. repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  13. ^ Marino Bortoletti. "Stoichkov, Hristo". treccani.it. Enciclopedia Treccani. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  14. ^ "Hristo Stoichkov". fcbarcelona.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Manchester United v Barcelona: six of their best showdowns". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  16. ^ "Potenza di Hristo Solo Un Assaggio" [Just a taste of Hristo's power]. repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. 29 July 1995. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  17. ^ Leonardo Coen (16 May 1994). "L'Ora Dell'Implacabile" [The hour of the unstoppable]. repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  18. ^ Fulvio Bianchi (12 July 1994). "Stoichkov, L'Adorabile Spaccone" [Stoichkov, the adorable boaster]. repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  19. ^ Marco Jackson (27 March 2015). "Italy v Bulgaria: No longer the fantasista football of old". forzaitalianfootball.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  20. ^ Saffer, Paul (26 January 2006). "Legends doing national service". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  21. ^ "L'Anno di Hristo, Genio Dei Pigri" [The year of Hristo, Genius of the lazy]. repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. 20 December 1994. Archived from the original on 29 June 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  22. ^ Jeff Wallenfeldt (2 May 2015). "Hristo Stoichkov". britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  23. ^ Thomsen, Ian (19 June 1996). "French Take Their Revenge on Bulgaria". New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  24. ^ Goff, Steven (9 October 2007). "AU Player Settles With Club, MLS, Stoitchkov". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  25. ^ Goff, Steven (27 February 2007). "Player Hurt in United Scrimmage in '03 Seeks Damages". The Washington Post.
  26. ^ "FIFA 15 Player Ratings - FIFA Ultimate Team Legends". EA Sports. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  27. ^ "FIFA 15 New Legends Ratings & Stats" Archived 10 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Ultimate Team. Retrieved 10 April 2015
  28. ^ "Top 5 Legends FIFA 15" Archived 14 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine www.allaboutfifa.com. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  29. ^ M3 Web (5 November 2018). "Famous Bulgarian Footballer Hristo Stoichkov Published his Memoirs". Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ ""Христо Стоичков - Историята" бе представена - президенти и шампиони уважиха Камата". sportal.bg. 5 November 2018. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  31. ^ Petrov steps back from Bulgaria Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine. UEFA (12 October 2006).
  32. ^ Petrov returns to Bulgaria fold Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine. UEFA (19 March 2007).
  33. ^ "Stoichkov named coach of South Africa's Sundowns". ESPN. London. 29 June 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  34. ^ Hristo Stoitchkov not to renew contract Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. psl.co.za (17 March 2010).
  35. ^ "Stoichkov considering Vietnam offer". ESPN. 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
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