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Bulgarian Dream Team

Standing: 10.Nasko Sirakov, 3.Trifon Ivanov, 9.Yordan Letchkov, 1.Bobi Mihailov (Captain), 6.Zlatko Yankov, 7.Emil Kostadinov, Dimitar Penev (head coach)
Squatting: 20.Krasimir Balakov, 5.Peter Hubchev, 8.Hristo Stoichkov, 4.Tzanko Tzvetanov, 16.Ilian Kiriakov

Forwards
The leader of the team was undisputedly Hristo Stoichkov, an established footballer with FC Barcelona. As a left attacker/winger, Stoichkov covered a lot of ground and scored regularly in important moments. Upfront, he was helped out by former CSKA Sofia teammates, Penev and Kostadinov. Lubo Penev, nephew of the team's coach, played centre forward. With an impressive stature of over 1.90 meters, he roamed as a target man dominating in air battles. Emil Kostadinov was a speedy right winger, whose admirable pace often forced defenders to foul him.

Midfielders
Stoichkov's consistent and tenacious game inspired his teammates. This was most evident with midfielder Krasimir Balakov, who became immensely active in distributing the ball. Balakov covered an enormous area of the pitch and nearly all balls passed through his feet. Yordan Letchkov emerged as the team's powerhouse dribbler. His skillful footwork, along with an adorable patch of hair amidst his bald head, made him a treat to watch. Defensive midfielder Zlatko Yankov played as a garbage man behind Balakov and Letchkov.

Defense
Trifon Ivanov was the most prominent defender of the team. His spectacular slide tackles and mobility helped him neutralize some of the top attackers in the game. Stubby Kiriakov and Tzvetanov worked along each side of him. Kiriakov possessed high pace which allowed him to actively help in offense. Dutch-based stopper, Hubchev, had the job of winning most 50/50 battles at the back.

Goalkeepers
Long-time captain, Borislav Mihailov, was a reliable figure at the net. He made few mistakes on the job and thus managed to hold his position for over 100 international matches. At a very mature football age, he was eventually replaced by the talented and baldheaded Zdravko Zdravkov.

Coach
Bulgaria's coach Dimitar Penev was a laid back character who had good instincts when it came to team chemistry. Penev was a former international for Bulgaria. Before taking over as a head coach for the Bulgarian national team, he achieved significant success with CSKA Sofia. Penev incorporated many of his former club players (including his nephew Luboslav Penev) in Bulgaria's national team, a policy that he was widely criticized for, yet by 1994 he silenced most critics.

History

Beginnings
1992 - 17 November 1993
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria opened its doors to foreign player trade. This change allowed rich Western clubs to snatch up talented Bulgarian players cheaply. Stoichkov was recruited by Barcelona, Balakov and Kostadinov went to Portugal. This process also helped in polishing the virtually unknown Bulgarian footballers by exposing them to top European competition. The young generation of Bulgarian footballers playing abroad joined forces in the country's national squad. The squad had no big egos in its roster and little external pressure for success. France was the first major nation to suffer from the strengthening Bulgarian team. In their final match of USA 1994 qualification, they are overturned and eliminated 2-1 with a goal by Kostadinov in the 90th minute.

Prime
17 November 1993 - 13 July 1994
Bulgaria's dramatic victory over France in the qualifications, catapulted the team into World Cup 1994. Virtually no one foresaw Bulgaria's success at the tournament. After a 0-3 loss from Nigeria, the team bounced back with a glorious 4-0 victory over Greece, the first World Cup win in the country's history. Even dedicated Bulgarian fans were astonished by the team's display of exciting and skillful football. The team maintained their success, beating returning finalist Argentina 2-0, toppling Mexico and even the defending champion, Germany. By that time, Bulgaria had grabbed world-wide attention as the upcoming tournament underdog. At the semis, however, Italy put an end to the country's World Cup run. Regardless of this loss, the Bulgarian squad was welcomed as champions upon their return. Bulgaria's status had changed overnight from a football imbecile to a formidable nation.

Decline
13 July 1994 - 18 June 1996
In the EURO 1996 qualification campaign, Bulgaria started off with a long string of consecutive victories. Western Europe was in awe as Bulgaria humiliated Germany once more, this time with a 3-2 win in Sofia. Yet, by the end of the qualification campaign, the youthful tenacity seemed to be gone from the squad. Disputes over unpaid salaries by the Bulgarian Football Union and club football obligations became the main concern of some of the footballers. This all culminated at the 1996 EURO as Bulgaria was eliminated in the first round after a 1-3 loss from no other than, France. Bulgaria's long-lived coach Dimitar Penev was sacked along with his nephew, Lubo. As Stoichkov and a couple of his teammates boycotted the team, it became evident that Bulgaria's 'dream team' of 1994 was no more.

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