- Krassimir Balakov
Infobox Football biography
playername = Krassimir Balakov
fullname = Krassimir Guenchev Balakov
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1966|3|29
cityofbirth =Veliko Tarnovo
countryofbirth =Bulgaria
height = Height|m=1.76
position =Attacking Midfielder
currentclub =FC St. Gallen (manager)
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1982–1990 1991–1995 1995–2003 2005
clubs =FC Etar Veliko Tarnovo Sporting Clube de Portugal VfB Stuttgart VFC Plauen
caps(goals) = 142 (35) 138 (43) 236 (54) 001 0(0)
nationalyears = 1988-2003
nationalteam = Bulgaria
nationalcaps(goals) = 092 (16)
manageryears = 2003–2005 2005 2006–2007 2007–
managerclubs =VfB Stuttgart "(Assistant)"VFC Plauen "(Player-Manager)" GrasshopperFC St. Gallen Krassimir Guenchev Balakov ( _bg. Красимир Балъков) (born March 29, 1966 in
Veliko Tarnovo ) is a formerBulgaria n footballer and a key member of the Bulgarian national team that finished fourth in the1994 FIFA World Cup . AfterHristo Stoichkov , he is considered the greatest Bulgarian footballer of his generation.Club career
Balakov began his club career at the local
FC Etar Veliko Tarnovo , before transferring toPortugal 's Sporting in 1990, where he won the 1994/1995 Portuguese Cup. In 1995, he transferred toGermany 'sVfB Stuttgart where he won twoUEFA Intertoto Cup s (2000 and 2002) and aGerman Cup (1997), before retiring in 2003.International
Balakov made 92 appearances for Bulgaria, between 1988 and 2003 (one of the best totals in national history) and scored 16 goals. Other than the
1994 FIFA World Cup , he also played for his country at Euro 96 and the1998 FIFA World Cup .Coaching career
He had been appointed on 16 January 2006 as a manager of
Grasshopper-Club Zürich to replaceHanspeter Latour who left for1. FC Köln .Balakov managed to win theIntertoto Cup thus qualified the club to theUEFA Cup for 2006/2007 season. He had been appointed on October 29, 2007 as a manager ofFC St. Gallen to replaceRolf Fringer . [de icon [http://www.fcsg.ch/newsdetails.asp?kid=5&id=887 "Krassimir Balakov neuer Cheftrainer"] , fcsg.ch, accessed October 29, 2007.]References
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