FRANCE 98 – Team Detail

Prior to USA 94, Bulgaria took part in five World Cup finals tournaments (1962, ’66, ’70, ’74, ’86) without managing a single victory (6 draws, 10 defeats). But in 1994, having qualifed by beating France in Paris 2-1, Bulgaria finally discovered how to win matches in the World Cup finals. First to feel the heat was Greece, who crashed 4-0, suffering at the hands of Hristo Stoichkov.

The winning continued and Bulgaria ended up by finishing fourth, shocking holders 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 ageing stars of USA 94. Stoichkov, the team’s star player, objected to the changes and refused to play in Bulgaria’s opening qualifiers for France 98.

CSKA Sofia have proved 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 semis 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.