Bulgaria national football team
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Bulgaria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname(s) | The Lions (Лъвовете),
The Tricolours (Трикольорите) |
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Association | Bulgarian Football Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Head coach | Plamen Markov | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Captain | Dimitar Berbatov | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Most caps | Borislav Mikhailov (102) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Top scorer | Hristo Bonev (47) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Home stadium | Vasil Levski National Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FIFA code | BUL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FIFA ranking | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Highest FIFA ranking | 4 (July 1994) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lowest FIFA ranking | 58 (August 2002) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elo ranking | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Highest Elo ranking | 7 (August 1969) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lowest Elo ranking | 63 (Oct 1953, Aug 1954) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Austria 6 - 0 Bulgaria (Vienna, Austria; 21 May 1924) |
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Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgaria 7 - 0 Norway (Sofia, Bulgaria, 1957) Bulgaria 7 - 0 Thailand (Mexico City, Mexico October, 1968 Bulgaria 7 - 0 Malta (Sofia, Bulgaria 14 October 1982) |
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Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spain 13 - 0 Bulgaria (Madrid, Spain; 21 May 1933) |
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World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 7 (First in 1962) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Fourth place, 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
European Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 2 (First in 1996) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Round 1, 1996 and 2004 |
Olympic medal record | |||
Men’s Football | |||
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Bronze | 1956 Melbourne | Team | |
Silver | 1968 Mexico City | Team |
The Bulgaria national football team is the national football team of Bulgaria and is controlled by the Bulgarian Football Union. Bulgaria's best World Cup performance was in the 1994 World Cup in USA, where they beat Germany to reach the semi-finals, losing to Italy, and finishing in fourth place after a 4-0 defeat to Sweden in the third place play-off.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] History
Bulgaria's first appearance in a World Cup was the 1962 World Cup in Chile, but failed to progress to the knockout stages. The same happened in England in 1966, Mexico in 1970, and West Germany in 1974. They progressed from the first round in Mexico 1986 but were beaten by the hosts in the round of 16.
Certainly one of the most important dates in Bulgarian football history is November 17, 1993, when Emil Kostadinov scored two goals against France in Paris, allowing Bulgaria to qualify for the World Cup in the USA in 1994. Under the management of Dimitar Penev, the Bulgarians, led by stars like Hristo Stoitchkov, Iordan Letchkov and Krassimir Balakov (along with a multitude of other talented players remembered in Bulgaria as "The Golden Generation"), made a strong impression, sensationally eliminating the then defending world champions, Germany in the quarter-finals, with a 2-1 win. Millions of Bulgarians celebrated this win in Sofia and other Bulgarian cities. Having reached the semi-finals, Bulgaria played Italy, but they were knocked out in a controversial match. Hristo Stoitchkov won the Golden Boot as top scorer in the tournament with six goals. Bulgaria also has won the Balkan Cup four times.
[edit] Post-1994 history
In 1996, the team qualified for the European Football Championship for the first time, although they did not manage to progress beyond the group stage. It was believed the 1996 squad was stronger than the one in 1994, and that they did not progress to the quarter-finals due to misfortune. The Bulgarians, after a 1-1 draw against Spain (a fantastic Stoitchkov goal was controversially cancelled) and a 1-0 victory against Romania, played well but lost the third and decisive match to a very strong France (the future world champion), 1-3. At the same time Spain defeated a weak and already eliminated Romania 2-1 with the winner coming in the 84th minute.
The Bulgarians did not progress to the quarter-finals in the 1998 World Cup, despite the good form they were in. However, The "Golden Generation" was history. They earned a goalless draw against Paraguay and lost to both Nigeria and Spain.
Bulgaria failed to qualify for the Euro 2000 and for the 2002 World Cup, but did reach the Euro 2004. However, they disappointingly lost all their group matches and were once again sent home without reaching the knockout round.
[edit] World Cup record
- 1930 - Did not enter
- 1934 - Withdrew during qualifying
- 1938 - Did not qualify
- 1950 - Did not enter
- 1954 - Did not qualify
- 1958 - Did not qualify
- 1962 - Round 1
- 1966 - Round 1
- 1970 - Round 1
- 1974 - Round 1
- 1978 - Did not qualify
- 1982 - Did not qualify
- 1986 - Round 2
- 1990 - Did not qualify
- 1994 - Fourth place
- 1998 - Round 1
- 2002 - Did not qualify
- 2006 - Did not qualify
- 2010 - TBD
[edit] European Championship record
- 1960 to 1992 - Did not qualify or Did not enter
- 1996 - Round 1
- 2000 - Did not qualify
- 2004 - Round 1
- 2008 - Did not qualify
[edit] 2010 FIFA World Cup
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[edit] Squad
[edit] The Bulgarian national squad
As of 26 March 2008
[edit] Goalkeepers
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[edit] Defenders
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[edit] Midfielders
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[edit] Strikers
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[edit] Recent callups
[edit] Players with most caps
# | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
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1 | Borislav Mikhailov | 1983-1998 | 102 | 0 |
2 | Hristo Bonev | 1967-1979 | 96 | 47 |
3 | Krasimir Balakov | 1988-2003 | 92 | 16 |
4 | Dimitar Penev | 1965-1974 | 90 | 2 |
5 | Hristo Stoichkov | 1986-1999 | 83 | 37 |
6 | Nasko Sirakov | 1983-1996 | 81 | 23 |
7 | Anyo Sadkov | 1981-1991 | 80 | 9 |
7 | Radostin Kishishev | 1996-2007 | 80 | 0 |
9 | Zlatko Yankov | 1989-1999 | 79 | 4 |
10 | Georgi Dimitrov | 1978-1987 | 77 | 6 |
[edit] Players with most goals
# | Player | Career | Goals | Caps |
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1 | Hristo Bonev | 1967-1979 | 47 | 96 |
2 | Dimitar Berbatov | 1999- | 39 | 63 |
3 | Hristo Stoichkov | 1987-1999 | 37 | 83 |
4 | Emil Kostadinov | 1988-1998 | 26 | 70 |
5 | Petar Zhekov | 1963-1972 | 25 | 44 |
6 | Ivan Kolev | 1950-1963 | 25 | 75 |
7 | Nasko Sirakov | 1983-1997 | 23 | 81 |
8 | Dimitar Milanov | 1948-1959 | 20 | 39 |
9 | Georgi Asparuhov | 1962-1970 | 19 | 50 |
10 | Dinko Dermendzhiev | 1966-1977 | 19 | 58 |
[edit] Stadium
Normally, the Bulgarian national football team's home stadium is the "Vasil Levski". It has a capacity of 43 634. Vasil Levski National Stadium was officially opened in 1953 and reconstructed in 1966 and 2002. It is currently eligible to host UEFA Cup final matches. During the 2006/2007 UEFA Champions League the stadium was used for the games of FC Levski Sofia with FC Barcelona , Chelsea F.C. and Werder Bremen. The Bulgaria national football team's home matches and the Bulgarian Cup finals are held at the venue, as well as athletics competitions.
The stadium also offers judo, artistic gymnastics, basketball, boxing, aerobics, fencing and table tennis halls, as well as a general physical training hall, two conference halls and three restaurants.
[edit] Coaches
- Krasimir Borisow ????-1992
- Dimitar Penev 1992 – 1996
- Hristo Bonev 1996 – 1998
- Dimitar Dimitrov 1998-2000
- Stoycho Mladenov 2000 – 2002
- Plamen Markov 2002-2004
- Hristo Stoickov 2004 – 2007
- Stanimir Stoilov 2007
- Dimitar Penev 2007
- Plamen Markov 2008-Present
[edit] Famous players
- Hristo Bonev (coach)
- Dimitar Yakimov
- Nikola Kotkov
- Petar Zhekov
- Bozhidar Iskrenov
- Nikolay Iliev
- Georgi Asparuhov
- Alexandar Shalamanov
- Manol Manolov
- Krum Milev
- Georgi Pachedzhiev
- Georgi Denev
- Plamen Getov
- Atanas Mikhailov
- Kiril Milanov
- Nikola Tzanev
- Georgi Slavkov
- Asen Peshev
- Spas Dzhevizov
- Todor Diev
- Dinko Dermendzhiev
The Golden Bulgarian Football Generation:
- Hristo Stoichkov
- Yordan Letchkov (current mayor of Sliven)
- Nasko Sirakov
- Emil Kostadinov
- Daniel Borimirov
- Krassimir Balakov (current coach of Grasshoppers Zürich)
- Trifon Ivanov
- Tsanko Tsvetanov
- Borislav Mikhailov (current president of the Bulgarian Football Union)
- Petar Mihtarski
- Petar Hubchev
- Zlatko Yankov
- Emil Kremenliev
- Bontcho Guentchev
- Plamen Nikolov
- Ivaylo Yordanov
- Ilian Kiriakov
Current Players
- Dimitar Berbatov
- Martin Petrov
- Stilian Petrov
- Zdravko Lazarov
- Aleksandar Tunchev
- Blagoy Georgiev
- Dimitar Ivankov
- Stanislav Angelov
- Georgi Petkov
[edit] External links
- Bulgarian football - history, teams, stadiums, fan clubs
- RSSSF archive of results 1924-
- RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
- Bulgarian football legends
- Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup
- Planet World Cup archive of squads in the World Cup
- Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup qualifiers
International football
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