3rd August 2000
Stoitchkov to stay
TAMPA - Even though he has appeared
in just nine matches in his first season
in Major League Soccer, every move
Hristo Stoitchkov makes—or doesn't
make—is covered by the European
media.
The latest example: A report out of
Scotland says Stoitchkov may join
Scottish First Division club Airdrie when his MLS contract expires in
December.
"There is a very real chance of Hristo Stoichkov coming to Airdrie,"
new team owner Steve Archibald said. "We had already discussed
the possibility of a move before he called me about another matter at
the weekend."
Stoitchkov did, indeed, talk to Archibald, who is a good friend going
back to their days as teammates at Barcelona. Their daughters even
attended the same school in Spain.
"We spoke about helping bring more Bulgarians to play in Scotland,"
Stoitchkov said before Wednesday night's match. "I never said at the
end of the year I would play in Scotland."
Since taking control of Airdrie, Archibald has purchased many foreign
players' contracts in a push to be promoted to the Scottish Premier
League. Adding Stoitchkov certainly would enhance its chances.
Stoitchkov thinks this is why his name is being tossed out, along
with the publicity it brings to Archibald and his team.
The level of play in the Scottish Premier League, annually dominated
by either Rangers or Celtic, is not as high as other European
leagues. There seems to be little to gain for a player of Stoitchkov's
stature to compete in the second-tier league.
Stoitchkov also said he would like to return next season but only to
the Fire. He has no interest in playing for another MLS team.
3rd August 2000
Forward Hristo Stoitchkov also got
into the ednesday's match between the Fire and the Tampa Bay Mutiny, playing the final 15 minutes. He had a sure goal cleared off the line by Addo in the final minute.
3rd August 2000 31st July 2000
Hristo Stoitchkov received an offer from a Scottish First Division team. His contract with Chicago Fire expires in December.
Injured starters Lubos Kubik and Hristo Stoitchkov will be part of the traveling
roster for Wednesday's game at Tampa Bay and both will be available for
selection in the first XI. Kubik has been suffering from a sprained MCL in his
right knee, and he last played on 5-20 v New England. Stoitchkov suffered a
right groin tear on 6-10 @ Miami and has not played since.
Fans Can Vote for the Fire Goal of the Year on chicagosports.com
Chicago Fans can vote for their favorite Fire Goal of the Year by logging onto
www.chicagosports.com. The contest will run for six weeks and the results will
be announced during the Fire's final regular season match, Sept. 9 @ Columbus.
Chicagosports.com has streaming video of all four goals and fans can vote for
one of the following goals; Diego Gutierrez's dribbling and finish on 3-25 @ KC,
Hristo Stoitchkov's 30-yard freekick bomb @ DC United, Ante Razov's diving
header on 5-6 @ Miami, and Andrew Lewis' give-and-go with Chris Armas, in
which 11 Fire players touched the ball before the finish on 7-4 @ Colorado.
31st July 2000
Stoitchkov missed the All-Star game of MLS and the team of the West lost to the East by 9:4. The star of Chicago Fire is still curing an injury.
8th July 2000 7th July 2000
Only fans, who had previously signed for the
'Fire Insider' knew about the Live Internet chat. Here is the whole chat.
Fire's Stoichkov burning out
CHICAGO (July 7, 2000 3:30 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) -
Bulgarian legend Hristo Stoichkov is considering retirement after
being out for a month with a groin injury and facing at least another
month on the bench of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire.
"I'm thinking about retiring and I want to do it in Chicago," Stoichkov
said.
"The players and coaches have made me feel at home since I arrived
and this is where I want to end my career," he added.
The 34-year-old was joint-top scorer at the 1994 World Cup with six
goals and played in Japan before signing a one-year, $270,000 MLS
deal for this season, where scoring five goals in nine games.
The 1994 European Player of the Year is not expected to return until
late August for the Fire's final four games of the season after suffering
a right groin strain in a 4-2 loss at Miami last month.
Stoichkov has opened a soccer school in Barcelona, where he won
the Spanish League title four years in a row in the early 1990s, and
plans to retire there.
"It's an honor for me to teach the little ones," he said. "It's a passion
because I think it's important youngsters learn everything the right
way."
6th July 2000 28nd June 2000
Hristo Stoitchkov chatted LIVE on the Internet on the Chicago-Fire Web Site at 7 o'clock ET.
Fire's Stoitchkov says he could be a Barca coach
BARCELONA (Reuters) -- Hristo
Stoitchkov said on Wednesday he could
return to Barcelona as part of the club's
coaching staff.
"I'd like to work with the youth teams, the
face of the future," he said.
Stoitchkov, 34, is playing in the United States
with MLS team Chicago Fire. He is still a
popular figure in the Catalan city for his role in
Barcelona's 1992 European Cup success.
"At the moment I'm enjoying playing soccer
and I want to carry on with the Chicago Fire
but if I decide to retire I could be back," he
said before returning to Chicago.
The former Bulgarian international's contract with the Chicago Fire ends in
December.
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.
Stoitchkov left Barcelona in March 1998 after a dispute with former coach
Louis van Gaal.
