Hristo Stoichkov

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Honours

Club

* CSKA Sofia
** Bulgarian League: 1987, 1989, 1990
** Bulgarian Cup: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989
** Bulgarian Supercup: 1989
* FC Barcelona
** Spanish League: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998
** Spanish Super Cup: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996
** European Cup (now called: UEFA Champions League): 1992
** European Super Cup: 1992, 1997
** Copa del Rey: 1997
** UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 1997
* "'Al-Nassr
** Asian Cup Winners Cup: 1998
* Chicago Fire
** U.S. Open Cup: 2000

Individual

* Bulgarian League Top Scorer: 1989, 1990
* European Golden Boot: 1989
*UEFA Cup Winners Cup Top Scorer: 1989
* European Footballer of the Year: 1994
* FIFA World Cup 1994 Golden Shoe - Top scorer
* Golden Foot: 2007

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. [ [http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind=256/newsId=130150.html Golden Players take centre stage] ]

Coaching career

In the 2003-04 season, Stoichkov started a coaching career, serving as a forwards coach at Barça. After Bulgarian national team coach Plamen Markov resigned in the wake of the team's first-round exit from Euro 2004, the Bulgarian Football Union named him as the new national team coach on 15 July.

Stoichkov's coaching career got off to a bad start with him failing to qualify the Bulgarian national team for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He brought his bad temper from his career as a player to the coaching bench. A couple of proven players quit the team due to personal differences with Stoichkov. The most notable scandal was at the 03/09/05 game against Sweden, where he was sent-off for insulting the referee.

The biggest blow to Hristo Stoichkov as a coach of the national team of Bulgaria came on 12/10/2006, when Stiliyan Petrov, the captain of the team, announced he will not play for the team as long as Stoichkov is the coach. [ [http://www.uefa.com/competitions/EURO/news/Kind=1/newsId=466913.html Petrov steps back from Bulgaria] ] Petrov is the third player and the second captain in two years to leave the team because of differences with Stoichkov. However, on 17/03/2007 Stiliyan Petrov announced that he had a private conversation with Stoichkov, in which they were able to work their differences out. As a result Petrov would return to the team. [ [http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/news/kind=1/newsid=517486.html Petrov returns to Bulgaria fold] ]

On April 10, 2007, the Bulgarian Football Union announced they had accepted the resignation of Hristo Stoichkov from the post of national coach. That was as a result of the poor performance of the team at the current Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, followed by widely spread criticism and debate over the qualities of the coach. He had a short disappointing stint as Manager at Celta de Vigo, for which he was sacked following the team's slump which took them to the lower reaches of the Spanish second Division. On October 8 2007 he was replaced by ex-Real Madrid coach Juan Ramón López Caro. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/08/sports/EU-SPT-SOC-Celta-Vigo-Stoitchkov-Fired.php Report: Celta Vigo fires coach Hristo Stoitchkov - International Herald Tribune ] ]

Quotes

"There are two Christs, and one plays for Barcelona" (Quoted during his heyday at Barcelona, in allusion to his first name 'Hristo', which is Bulgarian for 'Christ')

"I will always hate Real Madrid. There is just something about them that gets up my nose. I would rather the ground opened up and swallowed me than accept a job with them. In fact, I do not like speaking about them because it makes me want to vomit."

"Football is simple... you just need to have the right mentality, fighting in every game, in every practice and for every ball."

"Make sure you add a pair of golden balls to it." Hristo Stoichkov, on a statue being erected in his honor

"Manol Manolov aided my development by introducing me to a big club like CSKA. I will never forget him."

"I owe a lot to this club and the supporters who were always there for me. They supported me even when I was suspended. We had a great team and great tradition, that's how we became great players." Hristo Stoichkov, on his former club CSKA Sofia

"Cruyff combines the qualities of the best coach in the world with the most stubborn character that I have worked with in professional football."

" [Maradona] is the last player I truly idolize... No footballer is more worthy of a number 10 jersey than him. I've seen his feints, shots and goals countless times, yet I never get tired of watching them. I'm just sorry that I never got the chance to play along with Diego on the same team."

"In 1984, we were both promoted to the senior squad of CSKA Sofia. This is how we entered big football. Lubo Penev is a fighter, he never gives up and remains cool in tough moments. I remember he was ill with cancer, but fought and returned to football. Most people would have given up and prayed to God for mercy. I always want to be on his side and who knows, maybe one day we'll play together for CSKA's veteran squad. Lubo is more than a friend to me." Hristo Stoichkov, on former teammate Luboslav Penev

"It's interesting that both of us have completely different characters, yet that does not deter us from hanging out together. We became friends from the first time we met. In life, most people want to take advantage of you. It's not like that between the two of us. We'll always be friends, regardless of where we are or who we play for... I feel lucky that we had him at Barcelona. He's a goal scorer with the heart of a champ." Hristo Stoichkov, on former teammate Romario

"If you understand football you make substitutions during the game, if you don't you make comments after it." Hristo Stoichkov

"I know him. He's a hot chilli pepper, just like me!" Hristo Stoichkov, on youngster Valeri Bojinov

"I had a problem with the fourth official. He was marking me like a defender." Hristo Stoichkov, after a match as a coach of the Bulgarian national team

"Some write that I'm a genius, others say that I'm disrespectful towards their country. Just like they were towards mine. If you remember in 1993 I squatted to tie my shoe during the French national anthem. I don't care what they write about me." Hristo Stoichkov

References

External links

* [http://www.libroelocho.com Autobiography]
* [http://www.cmgworldwide.com/sports/stoitchkov/ The Official Site of Hristo Stoichkov]
* [http://www.expertfootball.com/players/stoichkov/ Stoichkov] Profile, stats and news
* [http://www.stoichkov.net/ A photo album dedicated to Hristo Stoichkov]
* [http://www.uefa.com/uefa/history/associationweeks/association=20/newsId=143204.html UEFA.com - Golden Player of Bulgaria]