2nd December 2000
The megastar of the Bulgarian football, Hristo Stoitchkov will play one half for Botev and one half for Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the last match of the referee Atanas Uzunov. The meeting will be on the 13th and the arrival of Hristo was confirmed by Uzunov yesterday on a press-conference.
2nd December 2000
Hristo Stoitchkov gave the T-shirt and the shoes he played with on Wednesday in the match versus the drugs to the young forward of Celta, Pablo. See what Pablo says.
2nd December 2000
On the 13th of December Hristo Stoitchkov is going to put on the jersey of Botev Plovdiv for the beneficial match of the referee Atanas Uzunov. This will fulfill the childhood dream of Hristo, who wanted to play for Botev as a young player, but has been overthrown as a nonperspective football player. The match will be shown LIVE on the Bulgarian National Television at 2 PM.
1st December 2000
Hristo Stoitchkov played in a charitable match against the drugs in front of 50 000 on Camp Nou. The team of the "orange" led by Hristo and Goikoetxea won versus the team of the "blue" by 5:2. The most intriguing battle on the field was on the left flang between the Bulgarian and the boss of Barca. The Catalunian newspaper 'Sport' wirtes, that because of the fact, that the team of Stoitchkov has been a few classes above their opponent, Gaspart has been unable to pass the center of the field and has been forced to run after the Bulgarian during most of the time.
29th November 2000
Hristo Stoitchkov became a manager of his 22-year old teammate in Chicago Fire Dema Kovalenko. That was said from the Ukrainian forward in front of the Russian 'Sport Express'. See what Kovalenko says.
28th November 2000
The US media announced, that the Bulgarian megastar Hristo Stoitchkov has arranged a welcoming of the coaching staff of Chicago Fire in Spain the coming month. The four coaches of Fire will stay in the Catalunian capital four weeks.
On the 11th they will watch the Catalunian derby-match Barcelona-Español and Stoitchkov is going to be their host.
25th November 2000
Hristo jumps with joy, when Barca scores
The Bulgarian megastar Hristo Stoitchkov brought luck to his ex-team Barca for their game in Belgium. Hristo watched from the tribunes and the players of Sera Ferrer defeated FC Bruge with 2:0, which made the second game useless.See what Hristo says for 'El Mundo Deportivo'.
23rd November 2000
Hristo Stoitchkov will be serving as a host to the entire Chicago Fire coaching staff next week, when the coaches are travelling to Barcelona.
23rd November 2000
Stoitchkov in Bruge with Barca
15th November 2000
Hristo Stoitchkov is invited to the beneficial match of the Romanian George Hagi, which will take place on the 25th of April next year. The match will be between the Romanian national football team and a gathered team of the world. Other invited players are Romario, Luis Figo, Hiero, Nadal and Sanchis.
8th November 2000
Hristo Stoitchkov met his ex-coach from Parma, Nevio Scala on a training of the team of Beshiktash in Camp Nou. The Italian coach has been pleasantly surprised from Hristo, who has come to exchange a few words with him.
7th November 2000
Hristo Stoitchkov said yesterday in front of Spanish journasists, that he is probably going to end his career as a football player after his contract with Fire expires in two years, but he also said, that he won't stop playing till he becomes a champion of the USA with Chicago Fire.
Stoitchkov has been in Barcelona for a few days. The Dagger has visited one of his football schools, which is situated in Hirona.
During his stay in Barcelona, the Dagger didn't miss the chance to see some old friends of his. According to close to Stoitchkov people, he has had a supper with the ex-candidate for a Barca president Luis Bassat.
The Catalunian media pay a lot of attention to the fact, that Rivaldo went up after Hristo defended him in front of 'El Mundo Deportivo'.
"Play and you will be applauded", was what the Dagger said to the Golden Ball winner for last year. Rivaldo had fallen in a hole after his weak playing and the scandals about his salary, but after he received Stoitchkov's support, he renewed his old form.
7th November 2000
EXCLUSIVE Stoitchkov turns back on Europe
Former Barcelona player and Bulgaria international Hristo Stoitchkov has opted against a return to Europe, deciding instead to renew his contract with American side Chicago Fire, onefootball.com can reveal.
The 34-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the American club and the former Barcelona player is expected to hang up his boots when the deal runs out in June 2002. Stoitchkov is currently in Barcelona to look after his football school but will return to the US in time for the new season.
Stoitchkov said earlier this year that he was hoping to return to Barcelona as part of the club's coaching staff but an inspired end to the American season, in which Chicago reached the MLS final, has put his coaching plans on hold.
Stoitchkov, the 1994 European player of the year, was a member of Barcelona's so-called Dream Team, coached by Johan Cruyff, which won the Spanish league four years in succession in the early 1990s.
He won the 1992 European Cup with the Catalan club and led his country to the 1994 World Cup semi-finals. He had a short spell with Parma before returning to Spain and finally left Barcelona in March 1998 after falling out with coach Louis van Gaal.
Several European clubs had hoped to sign the former European footballer of the year and earlier this season Scottish first division side Airdrie, coached by former Barcelona player Steve Archibald, made an audacious bid to bring him to Broomfield.
However, Stoitchkov rejected the offer from Scotland in order to stay in Chicago, where he has settled well, and the club has now rewarded his loyalty with a two-year deal.
1st November 2000 22nd October 2000 22nd October 2000
See what Hristo says.
See what Hristo says.
Fire wins Open Cup
The Fire walked off the field Saturday night and into the most important off-season in the brief history of the franchise.
The team headed into the off-season picking up its third trophy in three seasons thanks to a 2-1 victory over the Miami Fusion before 19,146 fans in the final of the U.S. Open Cup at Soldier Field.
Hristo Stoitchkov scored the first Fire goal in the 44th minute and Miami defender Tyrone Marshall had an own goal in the 88th. Welton scored the Miami goal in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time.
The championship is the second Open Cup title for the Fire. In 1998, the Fire won both MLS Cup and the Open Cup.
A variety of issues confront Fire General Manager Peter Wilt this winter. The two most important: signing coach Bob Bradley to a new contract and finalizing where the team will play in the coming years.
But Wilt, and presumably Bradley, also will have to make key player personnel decisions. Ante Razov, the team's leading scorer in each of its three seasons, has signed a contract to play for a second division club in Spain and will leave the Fire. In his final match Saturday, Razov passed up an open goal to assist Stoitchkov's goal.
"It's not easy [to leave Chicago]," Razov said Saturday. "Chicago has been good to me, and without the coaching staff and players here I would never have gotten to this point in my career."
How many of the Fire's three foreign players will return next season is a major question. It appears each MLS team will be allowed to have three foreign allocations next season, down from four this season. The Fire would like to sign defender Tenywa Bonseu, who may count against the foreign number. That means the club will have to decide among Bonseu, captain Peter Nowak, forward Stoitchkov and defender Lubos Kubik.
Given that players already under contract may see salary increases this off-season, and a minimal increase in the salary cap, the Fire only may be in a position to sign two of the four. Nowak, Stoitchkov and Kubik all have expressed a desire to return, and arguments can be made to bring back all three. But Bonseu has shown the ability to play in MLS and would be coveted by other MLS clubs.
Bonseu, just 23, also played central defense, a position held by Kubik until his knee injury shortened his season.
Before player decisions can be made, however, Wilt and Bradley must either agree to a new contract or Wilt will have to hire a replacement. It appears as though the former will be case. Both sides have talked recently and appear to be coming closer to an agreement. Sources say an agreement could be finalized in the next two weeks.
A decision on whether the Fire will build its own stadium, and where, also will be made in the coming months, presumably by the end of the year. The team has architectural designs of proposed stadiums and will likely choose to build its own stadium.
21st October 2000 21st October 2000
Chicago Fire won the 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Championship final versus Miami Fusion by 2:1. Stoitchkov scored in the 42nd minute for the Fire, assisted by Ante Razov. The second Fire goal came in the 88th and was a Fusion own goal. Miami returned one goal in the 92nd.
The personal manager of Hristo Stoitchkov, Jose Maria Mingea has been in the USA for the last two days and is negotiating for a new contract of the star of Chicago Fire. The manager will start discussing Hristo's future in the team after he watches the last game of the season for the Fire tonight.
The winner in the final for the Cup, Miami or Chicago will take 100 000 $ and the finalist 50 000 $. During the season Chicago defeated Miami three times and lost one game.
20th October 2000
The contract of Stoitchkov expires after the end of the season. The Bulgarian wants to return.
15th October 2000 14th October 2000
Wizards beat the Fire by 1:0, Stoitchkov once hit the post and played during the whole match.
Bulgarian wild card brings Fire to MLS championship
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's the No. 1 offense vs. the No. 1 defense for the MLS championship. Throw in a flamboyant world superstar -- one of the most famous athletes outside the United States -- and the math becomes a little fuzzy.
``The one who should be worried is the defender, because I know my potential,'' said Chicago Fire forward Hristo Stoitchkov. ``They're the best defense in the league, but we have the best offense. So the ones that have to be worried are them.''
Stoitchkov has conquered America before -- his six goals made him the leading scorer in the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The 34-year-old Bulgarian now has a chance to add to his countless haul of titles and trophies when the Fire plays the Kansas City Wizards in Sunday's MLS Cup at RFK Stadium.
``He brings a passion for the game, and it rubs off on all our players,'' said Chicago coach Bob Bradley. ``He's the first one in every day. He's always talking about what's going on in Europe. When I'm watching different games, he loves to sit down and talk about them.''
Stoitchkov was one of the world's best players in the 1990s, scoring 37 goals for the Bulgarian national team and winning titles with such powerhouse clubs as Barcelona and CSKA Sofia.
Age is starting to catch up with him, which is why he's playing in the United States. He's still better than almost anybody in MLS, and his presence helps bring credibility to the league.
While some aging international stars arrive in the United States and immediately start grumbling about their life or the quality of play, Stoitchkov apparently has adjusted well. He brought his wife and two daughters with him, says he lives ``like a king'' and has indulged his passion for fishing in Lake Michigan.
``We've been very fortunate to have international players that understand the responsibility of being here and working with younger players,'' Bradley said. ``And he's been another one of those kind of guys.''
That's not to say Stoitchkov has lost any of the blunt edge that has led to clashes with coaches, referees and the Bulgarian soccer federation. These were some of his thoughts, spoken through an interpreter, leading up to Sunday's game:
-- Asked about a red card he received in an MLS game earlier this year, he said: ``The quality of the league when it comes to refereeing is not as high, because I don't think I deserved that card.''
-- Asked how winning the MLS title would rank with his other accomplishments, he shrugged: ``Just one more.''
-- Asked why he mimed reeling in a fish after scoring a goal in last week's playoff game against New York-New Jersey, he said: ``I wanted to grab the MetroStars coach and bring him into the field to show him how to play the game.''
Stoitchkov also wouldn't comment on whether he'll return next season, saying he's concentrating only on the MLS Cup for now.
Stoitchkov had nine goals and seven assists during the regular season, but missed 13 games due to injuries. During the playoffs, however, he has been his old superstar self, with four goals and five assists in six games.
The Fire and Wizards were the two best teams in the standings this season, finishing tied with 57 points, and they split their two regular-season matches.
The Fire averaged a league-high 2.09 goals, while the Wizards set a league record allowing just 0.91 per game. Kansas City goalkeeper Tony Meola, the league's MVP, set an MLS record with 16 shutouts.
But this is soccer, where the irresistible-force-meets-immovable-object analogy doesn't always work.
``The labels that have been applied may have been oversimplified,'' said Kansas City coach Bob Gansler. ``The reason we play good defense is we want the ball. Once we have the ball, we want to keep it. Our regular-season games (vs. the Fire), the first one was 4-3, the second one was 3-2. That could very well happen again.''
14th October 2000
Stoitchkov may bring Diego Maradona in Bulgaria in the end of October. The date may coincide with Maradona's birthday (30 October).
13th October 2000
Stoitchkov lends spark to Fire
Bulgarian playmaker Hristo Stoitchkov tries to continue an 11-year championship streak on Sunday when he sparks the Chicago Fire against the Kansas City Wizards in the Major League Soccer title game.
About 40,000 people are expected at RFK Stadium to watch the regular-season co-champions duel for the United States soccer league title.
The Fire bring the league's top offense against Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year and MVP Tony Meola and Kansas City's league-best defense.
The rivals split two prior meetings this year, each winning on home turf. The Wizards doused the Fire 4-3 in March but Chicago took the rematch 3-2 in June.
Stoitchkov also has the Fire poised to turn the US double by winning the US Open Cup title in addition to the league crown. The Fire will host MLS rival Miami on Oct. 21 for the Open Cup crown.
Should the Fire win either title, Stoitchkov will continue a streak that has seen him win domestic club titles for every team on which he has played since 1989.
"I said before the season this team had the capability to win both the MLS Cup and US Open Cup," Stoitchkov said. "I enjoy challenges and teaching. But most of all, I enjoy winning."
Meola, 31, was a standout for the US World Cup team in 1994 but struggled last year with a knee injury after being traded from the MetroStars.
This season, Meola has been impressive. He had a 681-minute scoreless streak and 16 shutouts, leading all MLS goalkeepers with a .92 goals-against average on his way to a 15-7 record with nine drawn and his first league final.
"Any time you get to the final it has to be your best year," Meola said. "I couldn't be happier."
The Wizards' backline is also bolstered by MLS Defender of the Year Peter Vermes and rookie of the year nominee Nick Garcia.
Kansas City's offense is sparked by attacking midfielder Preki, who had a team-high 15 assists and made 95 shots on goal, and "Danish Dynamite" Miklos Molnar, who had 12 season goals and has four in the playoffs The Wizards are unbeaten when he scores.
Also key are left-side threat Chris Henderson, an American with nine goals and nine assists, and Scotland's Mo Johnston, another 1990 World Cupper.
But the Fire burns for a second title in three years.
Stoitchkov, 34, was second in voting for World Player of the Year in 1992 and 1994, the latter time after sparking Bulgaria's third-place World Cup run.
The former Barcelona striker was limited to 18 games by various injuries but has produced four goals and five assists in the playoffs after only nine goals and seven assists this season.
But one of his major contributions has been guiding younger Fire teammates such as Ukranian Dema Kovalenko and American Ante Razov, the Fire's top scorer with 18 goals this season.
"God sent him here to help me become a better player and person," said Kovalenko, 23, Stoitchkov's road roommate. "He's an emotional lift for everyone."
12th October 2000
Striker Hristo Stoitchkov missed a number of games during the regular season due to injuries but has returned to lead the Fire's offensive outburst in the postseason. The international superstar's pinpoint passes and violent shots from long distance have made him perhaps the most spectacular performer in this year's playoffs. In fact, the Bulgarian scorer is currently second (behind Razov) in playoff scoring with 13 points (4g, 5a).
12th October 2000
The Dutch legend Johan Cruyff will be present LIVE on Sunday's MLS final between Stoitchkov's Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards. According to the sources, Johan The Great, who brought the Bulgarian legend on Nou Camp in 1990, will arrive in the US capital Washington DC on Sunday morning and will be one of the special guests to the event. Accoring to the US media, Cruyff has been invited personally by Hristo. As it has been known the two of them are great friends, despite the fact that it was the conflict between them in 1995, that made Hristo leave Barca. Last year Cruyff was invited by Hristo to participate in the beneficial match of the Bulgarian with the national team jersey. This happened on the Euro 2000 qualification game Bulgaria-England 1:1 in Sofia.
10th October 2000 (In Spanish)
Stoichkov: “Juega y te aplaudirán”
“Es de los mejores del mundo y sí que siente los colores del Barça”
Hristo Stoichkov, colaborador de MD, sigue con intensidad la actualidad barcelonista desde Chicago. El búlgaro, que pronto disputará la final de la Liga y de la Copa de Estados Unidos, analiza la actual situación de Rivaldo y todo lo que en las últimas horas ha envuelto al brasileño del Barça. Como siempre, Hristo se muestra claro, contundente y sin tapujos.
No entiendo nada, ¿cómo podemos empezar a cuestionar a Rivaldo en estos momentos? Lo ha ganado todo, ha marcado goles, ha decidido partidos, siente los colores del Barça, es uno de los mejores jugadores que ha pisado nunca el Camp Nou... y ahora parece que todo está olvidado y muchos ya piensan en venderlo.
En el mundo del fútbol hay demasiada gente envidiosa y Rivaldo está, en este momento, sufriendo las consecuencias. Si hay una cosa clara, y que nadie ha negado nunca, es que él marca las diferencias. Es posible que a muchos les moleste el sueldo de Rivaldo pero que ellos no olviden que si alguien marca las diferencias ése es Rivaldo. Todo el mundo habla siempre del sueldo de Rivaldo pero ¿por qué nadie habla de lo que cobran Beckham, Del Piero y Raúl? ¿Por qué sólo se critica el sueldo de Rivaldo cuando hay otros que cobran también mil millones y que sólo hubieran limpiado las botas en el Dream Team? Ni Del piero ni Beckham han hecho nada importante y todavía nadie de su equipo, prensa ni afición, ha criticado sus fichas.
Si recordamos el pasado más reciente encontramos el nombre de Ronaldo. En aquella época, el brasileño cobraba 400 millones y nadie decía nada de su sueldo. Él también tuvo partidos malos y con su presencia no ganamos aquella Liga. Además, él no jugó la Copa del Rey que ganamos en el Bernabeu ante el Betis y en ese momento sí se pidió que lo renovarán por todos los medios. ¿Por qué no se criticaba el sueldo de Ronaldo?
El gran problema que tiene Rivaldo en este momento no es su juego ni su viaje a Brasil, su problema es cobrar mil millones de pesetas. ¿Por qué van las críticas hacia él y nadie critica a quien le concedió dicho contrato? Rivaldo no es culpable de que el equipo juegue mal y parece que, incluso cuando no juega, también tenga las culpas de las derrotas. Aquí volvemos al dinero y nadie pregunta quién le paga.
¿Pesetero? La gente se equivoca al decir que Rivaldo no siente los colores del Barça. ¡Esto es mentira! La gran ilusión de Rivaldo era quedarse en el Barça y al final lo consiguió. Pudo tener diferencias con Núñez sobre su renovación pero eso no significa no querer al Barça. Siempre lo ha dado todo en el campo y, a pesar de llevar cuatro veranos sin descanso, nunca se ha escondido en ningún partido. Siempre ha intentado algo y si las cosas le salen bien es una maravilla, pero si le salen mal parece que haya que venderlo mañana mismo.
Debemos ser más serios y respetar mucho más a todos los jugadores. Si se marcha a Brasil con permiso del entrenador, ¿qué problema hay? Mucha gente pide permisos para viajar y no se arma el lío que se ha armado con su viaje a Brasil
