Hristo Stoichkov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hristo Stoichkov

Stoichkov in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov
Date of birth	(1966-02-08) 8 February 1966 (age 59)
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 Yuri 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)
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 famous Bulgarian former footballer who played as a forward. Many people consider him the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. He was recognized as one of the world's best players, finishing second for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1992 and 1994. He also won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award in 1994. In 2004, the legendary footballer Pelé included Stoichkov in his FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

Stoichkov played for six years at CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria, where he became the top goalscorer in Europe in 1990, earning the European Golden Shoe. In 1990, he joined Barcelona in Spain. There, he was nicknamed "El Pistolero" (meaning "The Gunslinger") and was a key part of Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team." This team won four La Liga titles in a row and the 1992 European Cup. He was known for his strong partnership with fellow forward Romário.

He was also a vital member of the Bulgaria national team that achieved an amazing fourth-place finish at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Stoichkov was the top scorer in that tournament with six goals, winning the World Cup Golden Boot. He was also awarded the World Cup Bronze Ball as the third-best player. Besides his incredible talent, he was known for his fiery personality on the field, earning him another nickname, The Dagger (Камата).

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Football Journey

Hristo Stoichkov was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He started playing football at a young age for his hometown club, Maritsa Plovdiv, when he was just 11 years old. In 1982, he moved to Hebros Harmanli, where he scored 14 goals in the third division of Bulgarian football.

Success with CSKA Sofia

In early 1985, Stoichkov joined CSKA Sofia. Early in his time there, he was involved in a moment of frustration during the 1985 Bulgarian Cup Final, which led to a temporary ban from playing. He returned to the field for CSKA on 30 April 1986. Stoichkov quickly became a regular player and helped CSKA win the A Group title in the 1986–87 season.

He continued to shine, winning the European Golden Shoe with CSKA by scoring an impressive 38 goals in 30 matches during the 1989–90 A Group season.

Becoming a Star at Barcelona

After five successful years with CSKA, Stoichkov moved to Barcelona. In his first season, he faced a two-month suspension for an incident involving a referee, but he still managed to score 14 league goals. He became a key player in manager Johan Cruyff's famous "Dream Team." This team enjoyed incredible success, winning La Liga four times in a row from 1991 to 1994, and the European Cup in 1992.

During his time at Barcelona, he became a fan favorite and formed a powerful attacking duo with Romário. Stoichkov was twice a runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1992 and 1994. He won the 1994 Ballon d'Or after leading his national team to the World Cup semi-finals.

Playing for Other Teams

After his first period at Barcelona, Stoichkov played briefly in Italy for Parma. He then returned to FC Barcelona until early 1998. He also had a second short time with CSKA Sofia in 1998. In April 1998, he signed a special two-match contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, helping them win the Asian Cup Winners' Cup. He scored the only goal in the final match.

Later, he played in Japan for Kashiwa Reysol, and finished his career in the United States with the Chicago Fire and D.C. United. With Chicago Fire, he won the U.S. Open Cup.

International Career for Bulgaria

Stoichkov first played for the Bulgaria national team on 23 September 1987. He scored his first international goal in his fourth game.

1994 FIFA World Cup Success

During the qualifiers for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Stoichkov scored five goals, helping Bulgaria reach its first major tournament since 1986. At the World Cup finals, he was the joint top goal scorer with six goals, earning the World Cup Golden Boot. He also received the Bronze Ball award as the third-best player. Stoichkov led Bulgaria to a surprising 2–1 victory over defending champions Germany in the quarter-finals. Bulgaria then lost 2–1 to Italy in the semi-finals and 4–0 to Sweden in the third-place play-off.

UEFA Euro 1996 and 1998 World Cup

Bulgaria finished second in their qualifying group for UEFA Euro 1996 behind Germany. Stoichkov scored ten goals in the qualifiers, helping Bulgaria qualify. In the tournament, Stoichkov scored three goals in three matches, but Bulgaria was eliminated in the group stage.

He was also part of the squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where Bulgaria was eliminated in the first round. Stoichkov retired from international football in 1999, having scored 37 goals in 83 games.

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

How Stoichkov Played

Stoichkov was a very fast, creative, and strong left-footed forward. He could play as a main striker, a second striker who helped create chances, or even as a winger on the left side. Early in his career, he even played as a left full-back. He was known for his quick bursts of speed, amazing dribbling skills, and powerful shots. As the top scorer at the 1994 World Cup, he was also excellent at taking free kicks and penalties, and he was a great crosser and passer of the ball.

Manager Dimitar Dimitrov called Stoichkov "one of the greatest players of all time" in 2006, highlighting his "winning mentality."

Stoichkov was also known for his strong emotions on the field. He sometimes got into arguments with referees and opposing players. During UEFA Euro 1996, he was accused of making insulting remarks to a French player, Marcel Desailly. Throughout his career, he was often called The Dagger (Камата).

In 2003, during a friendly match for D.C. United, Stoichkov was involved in a tackle that injured an American University student. The case was settled out of court. Following an investigation, Stoichkov received a two-game suspension and a fine.

Media Appearances

Stoichkov has been featured in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series, appearing in FIFA 15 Ultimate Team Legends.

In 2018, Hristo Stoichkov released his official biography titled Hristo Stoichkov: The Story. The book's launch event was attended by many famous footballers and former Bulgarian presidents.

Coaching Career

Hristo Stoichkov started his coaching career in the 2003–04 season as a forwards coach at Barcelona. After the Bulgarian national team manager resigned in 2004, Stoichkov was appointed as the new national team manager on July 15, 2004.

However, his time as manager had a difficult start, and Bulgaria did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup. Stoichkov's strong personality, which was famous during his playing days, also showed in his coaching style. This led to some experienced players leaving the national team due to disagreements with him. A notable event happened on September 5, 2005, when Stoichkov was sent off during a match against Sweden for insulting the referee.

On 10 April 2007, the Bulgarian Football Union accepted Stoichkov's resignation from the national team. This decision came after the team's poor performance in the Euro 2008 qualifying games. He then had a short time as manager at Celta Vigo, but he was dismissed as the team struggled.

On 29 June 2009, Stoichkov moved to Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa, but he resigned in March 2010. In January 2012, Stoichkov became the manager of the Bulgarian team Litex Lovech. In May 2013, he was named the best manager in the Bulgarian league by professional footballers. In June 2013, he became the manager of his former club, CSKA Sofia, but he resigned just one month later.

Personal Life

Stoichkov is married to Mariana, and they have two daughters named Hristina and Mihaela. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he publicly supported the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Bulgaria.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Stoichkov goal.

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 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

Awards and Achievements

Player Honours

CSKA Sofia

• A Group: 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90
• Bulgarian Cup: 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
• Soviet Army Cup: 1984-85, 1985-86, 1988-89, 1989-90
• Bulgarian Supercup: 1989

Barcelona

• La Liga: 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98
• Copa del Rey: 1996–97, 1997–98
• Supercopa de España: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996
• UEFA Champions League: 1991–92
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1996–97
• UEFA Super Cup: 1992, 1997

Al-Nassr

• Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 1997–98

Kashiwa Reysol

• Japan Soccer League Cup / J.League Cup: 1999

Chicago Fire

• U.S. Open Cup: 2000

Bulgaria National Team

• FIFA World Cup: 1994 Semi-Finals (4th Place)

Individual Awards

• Ballon d'Or: 1994
• European Golden Shoe: 1990
• European Cup Winners' Cup Top Scorer: 1989
• UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award / Onze d'Or: 1992
• Don Balón Award Best Foreign Player in La Liga: 1993-94
• IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer: 1994
• FIFA World Player of the Year: Runner-Up: 1992, 1994
• FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe: 1994
• FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball: 1994
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1994
• Bulgarian Footballer of the Year(5): 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994
• A Group Top Scorer(2): 1988–89, 1989–90
• Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year: 1994
• BTA Best Balkan Athlete of the Year 1994
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1996
• MLS Best XI: 2000
• World Soccer's 100 Greatest Players of the 20th Century: 2000
• UEFA Jubilee Awards – Greatest Bulgarian Footballer of the Last 50 Years: 2004
• FIFA 100: 2004
• Golden Foot: 2007, as Football Legend
• UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador - UNESCO Champion for Sport: 2016
• FourFourTwo - The 50 Greatest Barcelona Players of All Time: 2022
• FourFourTwo - The 100 Best Football Players of All Time: 2022

Records

• The only football player to win both the European Cup Winners' Cup and Asian Cup Winners' Cup.
• All-Time Top Scorer in the Bulgarian First Professional Football League with 38 goals in 30 games in the 1989–90 season.
• All-Time FC Barcelona Player with Most Red Cards in History (10 Red Cards).

Managerial Honours

Mamelodi Sundowns

• Premier Soccer League Runner-Up: 2009–10

Individual

• Premier Soccer League: Coach of the Month: December 2009

Further Honours

• In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was chosen as the Golden Player of Bulgaria by the Bulgarian Football Union as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.
• In 2011, he was named Honorary Consul of Bulgaria in Barcelona. In October 2017, he was removed from this position.

Barcelona (Official)

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

See also

In Spanish: Hristo Stoichkov para niños