In this Bulgarian name, the patronymic is Stoichkov and the family name is Stoichkov.
Hristo Stoichkov
Stoichkov in 2016
Personal information
Full name
Hristo Stoichkov
Date of birth
(1966-02-08) 8 February 1966 (age 58)
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 Yuriy 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[1])
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 (Bulgarian: Христо Стоичков Стоичков, pronounced[ˈxristostoˈit͡ʃkof]; born 8 February 1966) is a Bulgarian former professional footballer who is a football commentator for TUDN. A prolific forward, he is regarded as one of the best forwards of all time,[2] and as the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time, along with Dimitar Berbatov. He was runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1992 and 1994, and received the Ballon d'Or in 1994. In 2004, Stoichkov was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[3]
At club level, Stoichkov spent six years at CSKA Sofia and became the top goalscorer in Europe in 1990, receiving the European Golden Shoe. In 1990, he joined Barcelona where he earned the Spanish nickname "El Pistolero" (lit.'The Gunslinger'), and was part of Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team" that won four consecutive La Liga titles and the 1992 European Cup. During his time at the club, he formed a prolific strike partnership with Romário. Cruyff was largely instrumental in bringing him to Barcelona where he quickly developed into one of the most prolific forwards in the world.
Stoichkov was a member of the Bulgaria national team that finished fourth at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, of which he was the top scorer with six goals and received the World Cup Golden Boot. He was ranked the third-best player at the World Cup, after Romário and Roberto Baggio, and received the World Cup Bronze Ball. Apart from his footballing talent, he was notable for his on-pitch temper.[4] In his playing career, he was also nicknamed The Dagger (Камата).[5]
^Stoichkov: A gifted bad boy. FIFA.com
^"HRISTO STOICHKOV – FCBarcelona.cat". Fcbarcelona.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
^"Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
^"Stoichkov: A gifted bad boy". FIFA.com. Retrieved 18 March 2015
^"Hristo Stoichkov Profile of an Icon". 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
HristoStoichkov (Bulgarian: Христо Стоичков Стоичков, pronounced [ˈxristo stoˈit͡ʃkof]; born 8 February 1966) is a Bulgarian former professional footballer...
Stoichkov (Bulgarian: Стоичков) is a Bulgarian surname. It may refer to: Zdravko Stoichkov (born 1964), Bulgarian weightlifter HristoStoichkov (born...
return of HristoStoichkov, Emil Kostadinov and Trifon Ivanov, but the three of them challenged each other for the captain's band. Stoichkov played in...
Revival HristoStoichkov (born 1966), Bulgarian footballer and football manager Hristo Stoyanov (born 1953), Bulgarian volleyball player Hristo Tatarchev...
HristoStoichkov and a flying header by Yordan Lechkov, giving them a 2–1 win. In the semi-finals, they controversially lost 2–1 to Italy. Stoichkov scored...
had never won a game in five previous World Cup finals but, led by HristoStoichkov who eventually shared the tournament lead in scoring, Bulgaria made...
Between 1982 and 1984 for the club had played famous Bulgarian forward HristoStoichkov (the European Footballer of the Year in 1994). Bulgarian Cup - 1/8...
World Tour. Retrieved 9 October 2018. "HristoStoichkov". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 22 July 2018. "HristoStoichkov – Bulgarian League Ambassador". Professional...
Lionel Messi, 2004–2021 Most goals scored in Intercontinental Cup: 1 – HristoStoichkov, 1992[citation needed] Most goals scored in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup:...
Stoichkov tie as leading scorers for World Cup USA '94". Business Wire. 17 July 1994. [FIFA] has announced Oleg Salenko (Russia) and HristoStoichkov...
Brazilian striker Romário, while the second place went to the Bulgarian HristoStoichkov. Third came Roberto Baggio from Juventus. The ceremony took place at...
management of Dimitar Penev, the Bulgarians, led by players such as HristoStoichkov, Yordan Letchkov, and Krasimir Balakov — along with a multitude of...
Footballer of the Year award in 2018 – the first CSKA player to do so since HristoStoichkov in 1989. He won it for second time in 2021, and again in 2022. On 23...
31]000 Referee: Dick Jol (Netherlands) Cristiano Ronaldo Sadio Mané HristoStoichkov Alex Telles Talisca Marcelo Brozović Seko Fofana Ghislain Konan Otávio...
FourFourTwo. "My Autobiography, HristoStoichkov" (in Spanish). The 8cho. Archived from the original on 11 July 2008. "HristoStoichkov Perfect XI". FourFourTwo...
Gianfranco Zola, HristoStoichkov and Roberto Baggio, to play in their preferred positions, and ultimately led to Zola and Stoichkov's departure from the...
Archived from the original on August 6, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-30. "HristoStoichkov". FIFA. 2014-07-25. Archived from the original on March 24, 2015. Retrieved...
fourth in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He is considered as second only to HristoStoichkov among Bulgarian men's footballers of his generation. Balakov began...
football became by far the most popular sport for the Bulgarians. HristoStoichkov was one of the best football (soccer) players in the second half of...
program that has produced many Bulgarian talents over the years – HristoStoichkov, Dinko Dermendzhiev, Aleksandar Aleksandrov. Bulgarian national first-team...
of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of wins by HristoStoichkov. Berbatov was born on 30 January 1981 in Blagoevgrad to Ivan Berbatov...
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