23rd February 2000
Stoichkov is training hard for Chicago
Stoichkov is training very hard in order to be completely ready for the American Championship.
The Bulgarian has been going through real hard pressure,as during his best years.Stoichkov and the bosses of Chicago have reached a full agreement on the financial conditions and there are no problems from the economical part of the contract.
Hristo is going to take 240 000 USD a month.The only problem for now is the Work Visa,which the Bulgarian must get in order to go to the USA,but the bosses of Chicago Fire are convincing him that they are going to repair the situation and he will be ready for the satrt of Major League Soccer,which is on the 18th of March.The problems with the Visa concerned the unspecified incomes of the Dagger in Chicago Fire.The Americans had to officially publish the sum Hristo is going to receive in the USA.
The 34 year old director of the Bulgarian national teams has been preparing himself on alone for his forthcoming American adventure.Stoichkov has been making long crosses and has been training for physical strength in the sport center "Caretera de les aihes" in Hirona.
In the little town,which is a satellite of Barcelona the people love Hristo very much and there are a big part of the fan clubs of Hristo in Catalunya.Besides not long ago the bosses of the team were hesitating between Stoichkov and Thomas N'Cono for a coach of the local team.
Stoichkov is training hard with his ex-coach of physical training in Barcelona and has lost a few kilograms in a few days.
Hristo foresees,that Van Gaal will continue the tradition in Barca fot the team to play successfully versus Real.See what Hristo says
21st February 2000
MLS notes:Could Stoichkov be on his way to Chicago in blockbuster 3-team deal?
(Monday, February 21, 2000) -- Major League Soccer spring training
was abuzz with rumors of an impending blockbuster trade involving
the Chicago Fire, Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny.
Chicago dumped Polish stars Roman Kosecki and Jerzy Podbrozny
after last season. So the Fire is looking for MLS to sign them an
eastern European who can both put the ball in the net and sell tickets.
The Fire’s original target was Stuttgart's brilliant midfielder Krassimir
Balakov, who according to German media reports was interested in
coming to America if the details could be worked out. Among those
details reportedly was a salary somewhere near the reported $85,000
a weekthat Balakov is paid at Stuttgart. That was well out of the MLS
price range, so those talks have reportedly broken down.
Chicago's new target is former superstar Hristo Stoichkov. The
Bulgarian, 34, who last played in Japan, is interested in ending his
career in America. Stoichkov, twice runner-up as FIFA's “World
Player of the Year” in the early 1990s probably can still play at the
MLS level. He also probably would be willing to sign for an amount
MLS can afford and he likely could sell tickets in Chicago.
The problem apparently is that under the complicated and confusing
MLS rules, Chicago, despite not resigning Kosecki and Podbrozny,
does not have a foreign allocation coming from the league to allow
Stoichkov to be assigned to it. Tampa Bay, however, does. Thus the
rumored trade.
According to several sources around MLS, Tampa Bay would trade
its available allocation to Miami for disgruntled striker Roy Lassiter
who is holding out and has not reported to Miami. demanding that his
$100,000 per-year contract be doubled. There are those who believe,
however, Lassiter would play for the Mutiny for the $130,000 MLS has
reportedly offered him. He loves Tampa where the fans have
supported him.
Miami would then trade the allocation it gets from Tampa to Chicago,
which would allow the Fire to be assigned Stoichkov. In return Miami
would get some combination of players and draft choices. One player
said to be included is young Ghanaian Junior Agogo. The 20-year-old
striker who played the last three seasons with Sheffield Wednesday in
England is emigrating to the U.S. with his mother and wants to play in
America. He is negotiating a deal with MLS and is in the Chicago
camp as a "discovery" player.
Reuters, however, quoted the Spanish weekly newspaper Football
which reported Stoichkov was asking for $241,600 per month, far
beyond what MLS would pay him. Stoichkov, who helped Bulgaria
reach the World Cup semifinals for the first time in 1994, is currently
director of all Bulgarian national soccer teams.
"Talks with Stoichkov are ongoing," Chicago coach Bob Bradley said.
21st February 2000
Out of retirement
Reports: Bulgarian Stoichkov could join Chicago Fire
Reports: Bulgarian Stoichkov could join Chicago Fire
Posted: Monday February 21, 2000 10:56 AM
SOFIA (Reuters) -- Bulgaria's former striker
Hristo Stoichkov has agreed to come out of
retirement and join U.S. Major League
Soccer club Chicago Fire this season if the
club meets his financial conditions, local
media said on Monday.
The former Barcelona forward, who quit
international soccer last June, told weekly
newspaper Football by telephone that he had
resumed training in Spain where he lives with
his family.
One of the player's pre-conditions was a
monthly salary of $241,600, the newspaper said, adding that the
34-year-old player had lost extra weight in a bid to get fit to play one
season. That figure, however, approaches the MLS maximum for players
in an entire year, though his income could be supplemented by sponsors.
Stoichkov vowed he would not resume his playing career after his contract
with Japan's Kashiwa Reysol expired last year.
A former European Footballer of the Year who helped Bulgaria reach the
World Cup semifinals for the first time in 1994, Stoichkov is currently
director of all Bulgarian national soccer teams.
20th February 2000
Hristo Stoichkov signs a contract with Chicago Fire on Monday.The contract says,that the team takes also his massagist Hristo Zapryanov.See Adam Low interview from the 18th
Yesterday the national selectioner Stojcho Mladenov said,that Hristo is necessary for the national team.
19th February 2000
The director of the Bulgarian national football team Hristo Stoichkov,who officially retired from Bulgarian national football team on the 9th fo June plans to return in the 'A' team for the forthcoming World Cup qualification games.
Hristo has been training on alone for a few days and has been preparing himself for the position of a playing coach assistant in the American Chicago Fire.Hristo has already promised the bosses of the team from Major League Soccer to sign with them till the end of February.Hristo has threatened to return to his superform of a winner and has said,that he will be waitning for a invitation to the national team from Stojcho Mladenov for our control games and the first qualification game for Mondial 2002 versus the Checz Republic in Sofia during September.If Stoichkov signs with Chicago his personal friend and a massagist Hristo Zapryanov will accompany him.See what Adam Low(press representative of Chicago Fire says.
18th February 2000
Hristo Stoichkov has signed a one-year contract as a player of the American Chicago Fire.The Dagger will receive 300 000 $.The Bulgarian will start training with his American team in the beginning of March.Before that Stoichkov may play a benefice game in Leida on the 2nd of March,when the "DREAMTEAM" of Barca will be gathered in honour of the president of Leida,Mario Duran.Hristo,Crujff and Michael Laudrup havent't given their final agreement to participate in the game.Right after that Hristo travels for the USA,where he has his first game versus Dallas.
15th February 2000
14th February 2000
See what Vutzov says
Hristo Stoichkov admitted,that he has received an offer from Chicago Fire.He didn't specify,whether the offer of the Americans is for him as a player or as a playing coach.See what he says.
11th February 2000
The coach of Chicago Fire Bob Bradley says that Hristo has neither accepted,nor refused the offer of the ex-American champions.
10th February 2000
Stoichkov to put on the shoes and join Chicago Fire!
Stoichkov faces a SENSATIONAL return as a player,said 'El Mundo Deportivo' yesterday.According to the information Stoichkov has signed a contract for one season,who was willing to have him as a coach not long ago.Stoichkov,who is currently in Andora will join his new team in March,when the Major League Soccer starts and goes on until October.Hristo will take 280000 $,this is the officially announced sum and it is the ceiling,which a player in MLS can receive,according to the rules of the federation.However the informations say,that Stoichkov is going to take a much higher sum.It is possible for Dimitar Penev to be a coach of the American team.
On Tuesday the great Bulgaria,who didn't fly with the Bulgarian national football team for Chile has taken the sensational decision.That is the time,when Hristo gave a positive answer to the offer of Chicago Fire and has signed a contract for one season.The money Hristo will receive are of course far away from the money he has taken with the jersey of Barca and Parma,but the sum is higher than the one he has taken in Al Nasr.Hristo took 250000 for his Arabian adventure and won the Asian Cup Winner's Cup,by scoring a goal on the final.
According to the Americannn press agents of Chicago Fire have been asking Hristo to return to the big game for a long time and it was right now,when the Bulgarian megastar decided to make this move.
By accepting the offer of Chicago Fire Hristo will join the colony of big stars,who finished their careers in the American championship,which was brought back to action after the World Cup in the USA 1994.
Beside everything else Hristo will be able to meet often one of his best friends-the Mexican Jorge Campos,who is keeping the door of Galaxy.
10th February 2000
Hristo Stoichkov has brought Lubo Penev to the attention of Chicago Fire.
After Lubo let it be known he had decided
to concentrate on his post as president of
CSKA Sofia (while occasionally turning out for
their senior amateur side), Hristo inrtoduced
Fire management to approximately half the
Bulgarians who had played with him in the US
and France. The Fire saw someone they
liked in Krassimir Balakov, and work
commenced to attract him, as he was then out
of favor at Stuttgart and looking for a new
challenge.
While talks continued with Balakov, things
heated up with Hristo, and with Balakov's
recent return to favor at Stuttgart, expect
Stoichkov to suit up in red this season.
We may not have to wait long for this to
surface. However, if by some chance (most
likely due to lawyer-ing) that Hristo should fall
through, a number of high-quality foreigners
are in the pipe as replacements.
8th February 2000
8th February 2000
See Ivan Vutzov and Dimitar Penev greetings.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HRISTO!
Today Hristo Stoichkov is celebrating his 34th birthday.He will meet it in Barcelona.As usual Hristo's birthday comes in a moment,when he is strongly attacked.
In 1997 at this time he didn't even want to hear about the Bulgarian national football team,despite all the mediators between him and the coach Hristo Bonev.
In 1998 Van Gaal wanted from him a public regretion,because of Hristo's appovement of the survey,that the team isn't going well.Hristo didn't take his words back and nowadays he is still an honest critiquer of Van Gaal and the president Hosep Louis Nunes.
An year ago in Bulgaria there has been suvey about the Bulgarian football player of the century.Histo has been refusing all commentaries about his second place for a long time.On the 10th of February he raised his hand towards Bulgaian parliament and said,that if he had been a player of Levski Sofia,the monument of one of the most important persons,who has lead to the liberty of Bulgaria wouldn't have been in its place.Everyone remained silent until they understood what he wants to say,and that is the only possible requirement for becoming a football player No1 of Bulgaria.
Today after two stormy weeks of quarrels with Stojcho Mladenov concerning the selection of the Bulgarian national football team,after the offer of Universitatae,which sent him in Buccarest,Hristo will pobably find comodity at home.There he will probably suppress his incredible tallent of creating problems as the London newspaper "The Times" writes in 1996.At that point of time the journalist David Murdock wrote,that the football tallent of Hristo has a price,which is dark character,angriness and demonism."There can't be a non-justice,which can miss the erupion of his biting tongue",the journalist says.
If Histo returns to the first month of this year he will probably be happy.During the reconciling meetings with the Bulgarian Football Union he understood,that there is one more person loving him like a father-Ivan Vutzov.'I love him as my son",says also Ivan Slavkov.A similar phrase was recently used by Dimitar Penev,who said that he can never get angry at him,becasue he loves him as a child.On a conversation at a table recently Hristo said,that Penev has never called him "Itzo"."He was always calling me Hristo,though on the board for the comments of the team he was always writing Itzo".The Golden Ball even reminded his friends,that before the match with Greece(1994),Penev stopped the enumerating of the names of the Greek players,when he reached the name Hristodulu with the words,"Hristo,are all of these your namesakes?".
Which one of the many fathers will first call Hristo in Barcelona today?
And so on,HAPPY BITHDAY HISTO!
6th February 2000
Yesterday in the afternoon the diector of the national teams,Hristo Stoichkov took a flight for Barcelona.On the airport he gave an interview for the journalists.See what he says
5th February 2000
Stoichkov,Vutzov and Ivajlo Jordanov met yesterday and had a lunch in an elite restaurant in Sofia.The three together came to terms that the captain of the national team Ivajlo Jordanov may miss the tour of the national team in Chile and deal with his problems in Spoting Lisbon.Stoichkov who is also missing the tour in Vinja Del Mar,and didn't go with the youngsters for today's match in Italy,stayed in Bulgaria to look at the preparation of the rest candidate nationals.
5th February 2000
The executiva director of the Bulgarian Football Union met Stoichkov and convinced him to remain in his position of a director of the national teams.
