19thMay 2000 Chicago Fire forward Hristo Stoitchkov chatted with users on May 18, 2000, about soccer in the United States and around the world. A veteran of the Bulgarian national team and top European leagues,Stoitchkov answered questions in Spanish. A full transcript translated to English follows:
19thMay 2000 Hristo:Barca has two main candidates for coaches, who will take the team out of the crisis and at the same time may create a new dream team.They are Cruyff and Sera Ferrer. Cruyff is a proved specialist and Sera proved himself in these areas with his work in Betis and then with his decision to stay and work in Barca even though with the youngsters, but he only wanted to stay in Barca. So I think that this man has proved his attachment to Barca. I am maintaining a constant contact with both of them and can say that the projects they are showing me are very good. 15thMay 2000 Question to Bob Foltman:Acquiring Stoitchkov is certainly adding a offensive punch to the Fire. How consistent he can be to lead the Fire to the MLS cup? 6thMay 2000 Josh Wolff on replacing Stoitchkov:It's good that I'm going to get some time now.Realistically, I know it's the same it's been in past years. When Hristo is healthy, I'll go back to the bench. 5thMay 2000 Bob Bradley on the penalty kicks of Fire:If Hristo is on the field, he's always the first choice. 5thMay 2000 Question to Ante Razov-MLS player of the week:Is there any particular on-field skill or trick you have picked up from Hristo Stoitchkov? It must be fun to play to with someone of his ability and experience.
28thApril 2000 Hristo Stoitchkov on the win and his re-injured groin strain:I'm very happy for our team.From the beginning I thought Chicago was the better team.We've tried to improve each day in training and I think today we showed tremendous effort and I've very happy with the results.I'd like to play next week vs. Colorado, but we'll have to see how I feel and if the coach thinks I should play. 25thApril 2000 Question:Bob, Given Stoitchkov's early season form, what if anything does that say about the level of play in the MLS ? Is he just a magnificient player who kept in shape after he retired, or could the MLS be a retirement village for world greats when they no longer can compete in the top leagues?
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April 2000
MLS Executive Vice President - Ivan Gazidis: This past weekend I saw one of the best goals I've ever seen in MLS. I'm talking about Hristo Stoitchkov's goal against D.C. United.
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April 2000
Ante Razov:The Fire are moving forward, we are trying to get together and put some training sessions together. It was a bit of a weird preseason for us, all our guys weren't in and then we got Hristo Stoitchkov. We are playing well, creating quite a few chances. It think our attack is one of the best in MLS. As we move forward in the season we are excited, and Hristo is a world-class player who we are glad to have.
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April 2000
Okaroh on defending Hristo Stoitchkov:Can't say right now, with me, when we get on the field I will react. I'm sure he will come ready to play.
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April 2000
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April 2000
Hristo:Why did Nunes think of Gerard right now after he scored three goals to Lazio,and didn't pay attention to him the last season,when he was given to Alaves?
CNNSI Host:Welcome to today's MLS chat with Chicago Fire forward Hristo Stoitchkov. Hello Hristo. Thanks for joining us.
Hristo Stoitchkov:Thanks for having me.
CNNSI Host:Let's get to some questions from our users...
From Guest:As a veteran of the Spanish first division, who do you think will win the Champions League final, and why?
Hristo Stoitchkov:I am very content to have been in Barcelona for so many years. But because [the final] is against Real Madrid, I would prefer that Valencia wins.
From Pedro Rego in Lisbon, Portugal:Having won at all levels in Europe, what are your challenges and main goals with USA soccer?
Hristo Stoitchkov:My goal is to be champion of the United States. We have good players, and with my experience, I believe we can do it.
From Lazarus in Hillsboro, Ill.:How do you find Chicago's culture in relation to soccer after living it in Europe? Do you enjoy the anonymity here, as Piotr Nowak said?
Hristo Stoitchkov:The Chicago team is very young -- only three or four years old. But when they win some titles, they will become more well-known and popular.
From John Pardue in Baton Rouge, La.:If Bulgaria qualifies for the World Cup in Japan/Korea, would you consider rejoining the national team for one more World Cup?
Hristo Stoitchkov:As coach, yes. It's very difficult. The [current] coach doesn't let young players on the national team; this makes it difficult to win.
From Glenn Sweet in Lawrenceville, N.J.:I would like to know if beating Germany in the 1994 World Cup was your finest moment, and what will it be like to be back in that stadium on May 27, 2000. Thank you for coming to MLS!
Hristo Stoitchkov:It was a great thing for the team. Before, everyone spoke of Stoitchkov. But after defeating Germany, everyone spoke of the Bulgarian team, with players like Balakov and Kostadinov.
From Kenneth in Dallas:What recommendations would you give to the U.S. program in their seemingly impossible quest of the World Cup?
Hristo Stoitchkov:It will be very difficult -- almost impossible. But in the world of soccer, anything is possible. Younger players are very important.
From Guest:Do you feel the success of MLS would be greater if the franchises would be located in smaller cities, or cities with no other sport franchises? Arena Football League and minor league baseball for examples.
Hristo Stoitchkov:No. The problem is not where the teams are located.The leaders of the clubs should have liberty to hire better players. They need independence.
From Shoumen in Bulgaria:Did you watch the UEFA cup final yesterday? And are you happy for you friend George Hagi?
Hristo Stoitchkov:I am very happy. They not only have Georgi Hagi,they also have Taffarel and Popescu, and other good players too. They deserved to win.
From Ray Mardell in Plainfield, Ill.:Do you think you will get into coaching when you hang up your boots?
Hristo Stoitchkov:I have a diploma in coaching, and already trained with the Bulgarian national team for some time. I have many years of experience as a player, playing for great coaches, and I have learned a lot from them.
From Eddie in Gainesville, Fla.:As an ex-Barca player, what do you think about the situation of Van Gaal and Josep Nunez? What do you think would happen to them? Would you want to coach Barca?
Hristo Stoitchkov:I would like for both to leave the team. We say in Spain, when you throw stones they can end up hitting you on the head.This is what happened in this case. I hope that the next president will be a more positive influence. Nunez lied, which was not good for Barcelona.
From Guest:Do you know of other Bulgarian or European players who would like to play in MLS? Would you recommend it to them?
Hristo Stoitchkov:I don't know. There are players that were on the Bulgarian team that are not there anymore. I recommend Iordanov from Sporting Lisbon.
From TeamMom:Hristo, how's the groin? Will you play this weekend?
Hristo Stoitchkov:I'm doing well. I've been training for the last four or five days and feel fit. I will play next Saturday some and then more on Wednesday. Next game against Metrostars, I will play a full 90 minutes.
From Steve Lewis in The United Kingdom:How did you cope with the lesser standard of the MLS compared with the Spanish league and the drop of attendance (i.e. 100,000 compared to say a few thousand)?
Hristo Stoitchkov:Soccer is very young. There are many years of American football and baseball. Little by little more and more people know about soccer. Now, there are many players from around the world which will bring more interest to the game, like [Carlos] Valderrama, Lothar Matthäus and Luis Hernandez to name a few.
From Milko Iantchev in Newark, Del.:How long do you plan to stay with the Chicago Fire and what made you join an MLS team?
Hristo Stoitchkov:I have a one-year contract with the option to stay another year. After that, I may become a coach. I like the perspective of Chicago. I spoke with the coach and the equipment manager (who speaks perfect Spanish!) who gave me a lot of advice [before joining Chicago].
From Louise Bøjden in Ryslinge, Denmark::I would like to know what the biggest experience you have had in your career is?
Hristo Stoitchkov:There are many. Of course, the World Cup is one that stands out. Winning the Champions League with Barcelona eight years ago was the most important moment.
From Guest:Chicago has six Eastern Europeans and Razov with an Eastern name. Does it feel like home?
Hristo Stoitchkov:Yes, I feel more at home with people from the Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic. But everyone here prefers to speak English instead of their native language. My English is coming along, little by little.
From Stilian Tzikalov in Bulgaria:Hello Hristo. I'm your biggest fan and I'd like to know your opinion for CSKA Sofia at the moment? And is it possible to come back in the club in the near future?
Hristo Stoitchkov:It hurts me very much that CSKA didn't win the championship. They have young players and a new president, Lubo Penev.I always prefer for CSKA to win, but other teams have good players, so it is difficult.
From Guest:Have you given Ante Razov advice that has helped him this year, and what do you think of him?
Hristo Stoitchkov:Since we speak the same language, I've given him a lot of advice. He is a very talented player. I've spoken to representatives in Europe, so he can go to Europe someday. He's a great person. God always recognizes and compensates good people.
CNNSI Host:That's all the time we have for today. Thanks again for joining us, Hristo. Good luck the rest of the season.
Hristo Stoitchkov:Thanks.
Bob Foltman:Well when he's been healthy, Stoitchkov has added offense. But he's been hurt the last three weeks and it looks as if it will be another three weeks before he's back in the lineup. He has a groin injury and those kind of injuries take a long-time to heal. But if he can keep himself healthy the second half of the season and in the playoffs, then he will be a big asset to the team.
Ante Razov:No tricks or anything like that, just kind of little tips on positioning and things like that. That's part of the experience you gain from playing with a legend like that. Just the things he can tell you can make a big difference.
The Tribune's Bob Foltman answers e-mails about Hristo Stoichkov
Tribune's Bob Foltman I think it says more about the talent level of Stoitchkov. This man has an incredible amount of talent and he's put it on display thus far this season. Two of his goals have been off set pieces and two have been after making long runs. So his conditioning is better than the average 35-year old and he still has a magical left foot. I would say that the level of play in MLS is at the highest it's been. Is it comparable to England or Italy or Spain? No. But those leagues have been in existence for 100 years.
Question:Do you think that the Fire will need Josh Wolff when he returns? He doesn't appear to be a strong a finisher as Razov or Hirstro.
Tribune's Bob FoltmanYes I do think they need Josh. Josh is a young player with a good future and Stoitchkov likely won't play past this season. Wolff can go back to the role that he had last season, which is being a super sub or fill in for Stoitchkov in instances like last weekend when Stoitchkov was injured. Wolff isn't the kind of finisher that Stoitchkov is, but neither is Razov.Both are still young players, however, who have bright futures ahead of them.
Question: When will Stoitchkov be back? I would think he will be the one taking penalty kicks from now on.
QuestionI would think that Stoitchkov will be back in the lineup Friday night and I would also think that if there is a PK and he's on the field, he'll be taking it.
Razov on playing with Stoitchkov:Hristo's brought in a lot. He's a great player and everyone around him feeds off him. He's not yet in game shape, but having him around makes our jobs a lot easier.
Razov on the volatile temper of Stoitchkov:He's a fiery guy. Hristo needs time to adjust to us, as we need to understand him.Some of the things he does aren't in sync with the way we do things. We have to find balance between the 11 guys out on field. He's not beyond anyone to be giving the wrath to anyone on our side.
Razov on communication with Stoitchkov:He speaks several languages, but very little English. A lot of guys talk to him in Spanish. The Eastern Bloc guys can speak with him, Kubik talks with him in Italian.We have a pretty multi-lingual team over here.
Razov on Stoitchkov's demeanor:He's been pretty low-key. He's not very loud, maybe a bit during games. Off the field I haven't seen anything that shows his flamboyant or wild side -- yet.
It seems that the atmosphere in Barca at the moment is very nervous.It hurts me very much for the losses to Chelsea and Mallorca,but that is the football.However I think that Barca has the chance to continue in the Champions' League,because 3:1 is not such a bad result.
(About Fire)We are not doing very well in the American Championship right now,but I hope that we will improve our game in the next matches.
