Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgarian:Христо Стоичков Стоичков; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarianfootballer who is currently a football commentator for Univision Deportes. A prolific forward, he is regarded as one of the best players of his generation and is widely considered the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. 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.
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 FC Barcelona where he earned the Spanish nickname 'El Pistolero' which translates to 'the gunslinger', and he was part of Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team" that won four consecutive La Liga titles and one UEFA Champions League. During his time at the club he formed a lethal strike partnership with Romário.
"There are another six games and they'll decide everything. We'll seek a victory against Hungary at any price and will wait for the match against Croatia. We still have a chance to qualify because surprises are possible."
"This will be our hardest qualifier this year. I want my lads to concentrate and show Malta from the very first minute that they do not have any chance."
"I am satisfied with the win. We could have scored more goals but I am really happy with my team performance tonight."
Bulgaria are the opposition, who aren’t the behemoths that they were in the 1990s in Hristo Stoichkov’s day, but you could say the same about Ireland given our recent record.
Another famous Hristo is celebrated in these parts, perhaps the greatest of all Bulgarian footballers, Hristo Stoichkov, who guided the national team to the World Cup semi-finals back in 1994.
And the current situation is a far cry from the delirium of the 1994 World Cup when a nation spearheaded by the legendary former Barcelona striker Hristo Stoichkov reached the semi-finals.