Group
D: Bulgaria 
 Union
Bulgare de Football Coach: Hristo BONEV.  ISFA
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12.06.98
Montpellier 19.06.98 Paris 24.06.98 Lens Team Colors:
White, Green and Red pants Confederation:
UEFA 7th appearance in World
Cup finals Finished 4th in 1994
World Cup in USA Reached quarter-finals of
1968 European Championships Reached finals of
European Championships in 1996 Key players: F
Daniel Borimirov (1860 Munich, Germany), M Krassimir Balakov
(Stuttgart, Germany), F Hristo Stoichkov
(Barcelona, Spain), F Lyuboslav Penev
(Compostela, Spain). Hristo
Stoichkov Keep an Eye on:
Hristo Stoichkov:Petulant, arrogant, aggressive,
outspokenand, above all, wonderfully gifted,
theBarcelona forward is still
tremendous. Luboslav Penev: Big
striker, still guaranteed a place although his
uncle is no longer coach. Yordan Letchkov: Remains
capable of matching his winning goal in the 1994
quarter-final. Analysis:
Bulgaria's has been a tale of steady decline
over the past four years, but with players of
international quality still playing at the top
level, they may surprise a few people in France.
Nevertheless, without fresh and young legs they
won't be threatening to win the ultimate
prize. Stoichkov carried the
team to the semifinals in '94, but it might be too
much to ask from him again on an otherwise
unspectacular though hard-working team. History: Bulgaria
plays a mostly defensive, almost unimaginative
soccer. In England 66, Brazil's Pelé was
hunted by the Bulgarians with a physical and
tortuous game. His marker Zhetchev apparantly was
given free reign by the referee that afternoon to
demonstrate a negative defense which kept the
Brazilian from the subsequent encounter. Prior to USA 94, Bulgaria
took part in five World Cup final tournaments
(1962, '66, '70, '74, '86) without managing a
single victory (6 draws, 10 defeats). In 1994,
having qualifed by beating France in Paris 2-1,
Bulgaria finished fourth, shocking Germany 2-1 in
the quarter-finals in the process. In 1996, Bulgaria reached
the final stages of the European Championships for
the first time, but failed to rediscover their form
of 1994. Coach Dimitar Penev was subsequently
replaced by Hristo Bonev. The new coach took a
broom to the squad in a bid to sweep out the aging
stars of USA 94. The team's star player, Hristo
Stoichkov, objected to the changes and refused to
play in Bulgaria's opening qualifiers for France
98. CSKA Sofia have proved to
be the country's most successful club. They reached
the semi-finals of the European Champions Cup in
1967 and 1982, and the European Cup Winners Cup
semi-finals in 1989. However, most of the country's
leading players represent richer foreign clubs.
Despite Bonev's attempts to rejuvenate the squad,
Bulgaria arrive in France with a squad that still
revolves around veterans Stoichkov, Trifon Ivanov,
Yordan Lechkov and Emil Kostadinov. One of the oldest teams
in the finals, Bulgaria have relied on experience
to get them to France next summer. But now they
find themselves in the toughest group, will Father
Time catch up with them? Dimitar Penev was
dismissed as their coach after an ignominious Euro
'96 campaign but essentially Bulgaria are still his
team, relying on the defensive qualities of Trifon
Ivanov, 32, and Zlatko Jankov, 31, and the
attacking spirit of Hristo Stoichkov, 31, and Emil
Kostadinov, a spring chicken at 30. Add to that Ginchev,
Yankov, Kiriakov, Borimov, Penev, Lechkov, Balakov
and Jordanov - all of whom are around the 30 mark -
and Hristo Bonev, the new coach, has not so much a
team but a pensioners' outing. Trivia for the
Pub: Every player in the team and even the
coach has a last name ending in the letter
V. Stoichkov: everything you
hear ...and more. POSITION NAME AGE
CAPS G Borislav Mihailov 34
101 G Zdravko Zdravkov 27 12
G Dimitar Popov 27
14 D Radostin Kishishev 23
19 D Trifon Ivanov 32
71 D Gosho Ginchev 28
13 D Milen Petkov 23
6 D Ivailo Petkov 21 6
D Adalbert Zafirov 29
2 M Zlatko Yankov 31
64 M Ivailo Yordanov 29
35 M Yordan Lechkov 30
44 M Krasimir Balakov 31
63 M Daniel Borimirov 27
35 M Anatoli Nankov 28
9 M Ilia Gruev 28
1 F Hristo Stoichkov 32
68 F Emil Kostadinov 30
65 F Lyuboslav Penev 31 56
F Ilian Iliev 29
12 F Georgi Ivanov 21
2 F Georgi Bachev 22
3 F Hristo Yovov 20
0 F Marian Hristov 24
7 F Georgi Donkov 27 7
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