Kids These Days Don't Know Stoichkov... 

Stoichkov is everything football today is not. He plays for dear life, maximum effort, heart, passion. He's the guy you have to mark. The striker your passes have to find. A fantastic player. "Smashkov!"

48 goals in 40 matches is insane regardless of the level. But 10 goals in his first 5 matches for Barca after his 2 month ban is also seriously impressive.

In Bulgaria pretty much everyone knows him because we haven't had a moment like the 1994 World Cup ever since it happened.

This guy is litteraly one of the greatest football players ever. What a character.

14:04 Bulgaria had to beat France in Paris, and they scored in the last minute. That was yet another comeback. France had Blanc, Emmanuel Petit, Deschamps, Papin, and so on. The referee on the semifinal between Bulgaria and Italy was French. Don't know how FIFA pulled this one.

I am Greek and 94 was the first time we qualified for a world cup! But besides that I think it was one of the best and most diverse World Cups EVER .......with many underdogs play really strong and with all of them having 2 or 3 really great players on their squad like Bulgaria(Stoichckov, Balakov, Letchkov) , Romania(Hagi, Dumitrscu, Raducoiu, Munteanu) , Sweden(Larsson, Dahlin, Anderson, Brolin) , Nigeria(Yekini, Amokachi, Okocha, Amunike) and of course the big names Italy and Brazil!

I'm from Bulgaria and I'm proud that I'm Bulgarian.Hristo Stoichkov is our all time best player who gives a happiness to a millions of Bulgarians.

I've always been baffled, Why Stoichkov's name is never mentioned, when great footballer's names are being debated and discussed. This guy was an absolute 'beast.' Remembered him from the '94 World Cup, and always liked him.

Holy sh*t,reading so much comments from all around the world,praising Stoichkov... Man sometimes it feels good to be bulgarian. Thank you Stoichkov!

A true Bulgarian legend great player, Used 2 love watching him play 4 Barcelona the goals he scored from every angle much respect from Dublin Ireland great video 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

No player in the world was more interesting to watch than Stoichkov at that time. Absolutely crazy but playing with an unmatched passion...unmatched even today. God and Devil in same person. Impossible...but not for Stoichkov. When he sprinted, my heartbeat accelerated, when he shot I couldn't breathe or blink in awe. How many wins he crafted for Barcelona? Like Saachi said: "You can only stop him with a pistol"😂

I am from the UK but my childhood football memories are all about Stoichkov, Hagi, Boban, Prosinečki etc. incredible time for eastern European football. Currently living in Croatia, mainly due to my love of their 98 team

Man the early 1990s had some of the best players ever. Jean Pierre Papin, Stoisckov, Romario, Bebeto, Rai, Van Basten, Gullit, Laudrup, Ginola, Cantona, Asprilla, Brolin, Balakov, Baggio, Hagi, Koeman.

Can you do a video about Berbatov. He is one of our greatest players too. Love from Bulgaria.

I remember watching Barca with Romario and Stoichkov terrorizing defenders in the champions leagues, particularly a game against Man United. I was age 10 at the time... and they both shouted at each other if they didn’t pass the ball to each other, which was a highlight of its own. Legends!

One of the greatest ever and my all time favorites. Not only technical and visionary but also steel solid mentally and remarkable leadership on the pitch. Love from Morocco

Adored by Barca supporters The raging bull, I spent my university years watching that dream team in Camp Nou. Wonderful times.

1994 World Cup 3 players amazed everyone Hristo Stoichkov, Gheorghe Hagi and Roberto Baggio...

Stoichkov is one of the players that made me respect football.....Maybe because he played against Nigeria. Ever since then, I followed his career. A player with character.

His free kicks were automatic. His combination with Romario was a dream in Barcelona

Hristo legend 🇷🇸🇧🇬

Loved this guy, he was my first hero because he was a left footer like me, saw him last year in a friendly and he scored a 30 yard free kick haha

In Bulgaria, his nickname was “The dagger”. My childhood hero!

I remember usa 94, was 10, bulgaria were pretty decent, one of the first goals I saw that sticks in my head till this day was yordan letchkov header v Germany, he was a good player as well

He was one of the best for sure, i had the privileage to watch almost all his carrer and i tell you this : Neymar is not even close Stoichkov

I am a huge fan of Stoichkov and I have seen а lot of the videos and documentaries about him. This video is short, but it's unbelievable. I rarely see RU-vidrs putting so much effort to learn and understand the situation, the mentality and the personal drama. You really did a good job with this video. It is sad that after Hristo we only had Berbatov, Stiliyan Petrov and Martin Petrov. We do not produce players like them anymore.

Fun fact. A bulgarian journalist, fan of Levski voted for Van Basten that year.

Stoichkov was simply an amazing player with a fantastic left leg kick!!! One of the most exciting players I have ever seen!!!!

One of the many heroes of the 90's, but certainly one of the most interesting!

100% Stoichkov, 100% Bulgarian GOAT, 100% insane

Dude I'm seriously thankful for this video. Made me feel so proud and happy 🇧🇬😁 I was born just a year after our world cup run but I love hearing about every detail of this man's career path. A truly amazing player!

From my point of view there will never be another like him! My childhood hero

The good old days! No special haircuts, no tattoos just football ! Stoichkov was one of the greatest footballers of the 90’

Nice video m8. Trifon Ivanov is another beast of that Bulgarian wonder team. Rugged defender , rough looks and great performances. You can put him on the same table as Nesta, Maldini or any other great defender despite the fact he never played for the biggest clubs. He even bought a tank directly from the Bulgarian army and was driving it around the country side in his spare time ( how cool is that 😄) . I’m not gonna give up too much on him but maybe you can consider making video for Trifon Ivanov sometimes in the future.

There was a time where there was a group of midfield maestros from Eastern Europe such as Stoichkov, Hagi, Stojkovic, Savicevic, etc... I am saddened when i think of the slim chances a team from Eastern Europe would win the European Cup (UCL) in this day and age...

Hristo Stoichkov is one of my all time favorites, Great Player, very good footballplayer. When he played together with Romario it was a joy to watch, they understood eachother perfectly. 👍

He shut have 2 Ballon D’or . Not only 1994….. but also 1992 ! ,,The only football player ever give 105 % any time ! “ Johan Cruyff

The corruption in Bulgaria destroy the youth development system. It's been ages it had a top level Bulgarian footballer. That's a disgrace.

Thank you so much for doing this video He is a icon in Bulgaria 😁

You forgot about the most prominent achievement of the man. Teaming with Maradona and Cantona, they created the Professional Footballers Union which allowed all footballers (not only the stars!!!) to make a decent living out of their job and secure their retirement... This sense of justice may be explains a bit of the personality of the man and put lights on his legendary contestations against referees' mistakes.

He was the reason why I supported Barça along with Hagi and Romario

He should've won Ballon D'or in 1992 but as we all know this award is a mockery!!!

As a bulgarian. Thank you!!! You remind me how great was he....I was too young to realize the "football " in all perspectives...But now...just....THANK YOU!!!

Brilliant video, keep up the good work! Just one correction: Loko Plovdiv's owner killed at Sunny Beach is not Pavlov (probably mistaken with Ilia Pavlov who owned CSKA) but Georgi Iliev, mighty underground figure, whose older brother Vasil was also killed several years before.

My favourite player! И най добрия български футболист за всички времена!

Really enjoyed the video, also little known fact is that he was at some point coach of Leo Messi in Barcelona child academy. Also the famous quote of Hristo: "Once they said they can only stop me with a pistol. Today you need a machine gun to stop Messi." Also as far as I know he showed a great hospitality and help a lot of youngsters in Barcelona, for example Samuel Eto'o and many others. Great person, great player.

Stocikov The FC Barcelona Legend

He is wonderful and as a Human being, he had a charity cause in African countries and even sponsored children's schools! God bless him!💪❤️👍

He fkn sunk his studs into the refs foot I’m sorry but you gotta love him 😂

Him and Batistuta are my faves. Loved watching him play ..his desire and passion was obvious and his goal scoring prowess was almost unmatched. Truly a feared striker and a highly respected man.

he's a very skillful madman, exciting to watch

Stoichkov was an Amazing dribbler and had one of the best left foots of all time

I loved him as a kid back then, he was a phenomenal player, with an eagle eye ability for the back of the net.

Българи тук ли сме?

Absolutely everyone knows Stojičkov, during our Yugoslavia time he was well known awesome Bugarski player. Same generation as our now National Team Coach Dragan Stojković Pixy. 🇧🇬🇷🇸💪🏻💪🏻

He was amazing. Thanks for the memory.

You forgot 2 things! First was 1994 before 1/4 finals against Germany! Bulgarian players before the match was drinking beers and playin cards and Stoichkov says "We can beat Germany easily" - Einzu, Tzveinzu Drun ... :D and second one was great come back in 1996 ECQ when Germany lead us 0:2 and we beat them 3:2 at the end! Stoichkov greatest performance ever was in this match!

Hristo Stoichkov e pred se Bugarska no I Balkanska legenda gord sum na vakov igrac koj e od Balkanot

That 1996 Barcelona team was absolutely insane Ronaldo Stoichkov Guardiola Luis Enrique Figo Laurent Blanc Jose Mourinho all led by Bobby Robson you’ll never see another team like it.

My parents had the pleasure of watching him in his prime. And absolute legend for the Bulgarian national team and during this "Crazy summer" in 1994 as we refer to the World cup when we qualified 4th in the world in the same year. Undoubted star and leader in CSKA Sofia and Cruyff's great Barcelona. The only Bulgarian football player to win the Ballon d'Or - true pride of the nation! Great video! Keep it up! Greetings from Bulgaria! ❤🇧🇬

Hristo Stoichkov je legenda

Stoitchkov wasn't the one who scored to knock out France in the qualifiers of the world cup. It was Kostadinov who scored twice. And that match is worth a whole new video as Kostadinov scores literally in the last second of regular time. Look it up.

I was waiting for a video like this one. He is by far my favorite football player, and as a bulgarian, I am proud of him.

One of my faves. He was a beast. Helluva player. Ivanov, his big buddy was another Bulgarian great and maybe the last of the true sweeper/libero type players.

His 94 World Cup is the reason of why I became a Barca fan

I'm fortunate to have watched him in his prime. A great footballer.... with unmatched character on the field at that time. They don't make these kinds of players now days.

This man was such a legend shame how he doesn't get enough credit today. Loving the content would love to see a vid on dybala he used to be such a beast at Palermo and only a few years ago at juve

A very nice video, well done! The only thing I miss was you explaining what happened after he retired. He became a coach, but after a lot of unsuccessful tries, he decided to retire. Since 2016 Stoichkov is a co-owner in CSKA Sofia and works in Mexico as a commentator, I believe. And btw, being an owner of a football club in Bulgaria isn’t that dangerous anymore. All of the cases with the killed owners that you told about happened in the so called in Bulgaria “mafia boss years” , when killing of rich people was common

He was amazing, especially during the 94 World Cup. He was so dominant.

Little known fact about the 94 world cup is that even though Bulgaria lost the third place match to Sweden both teams were awarded with bronze medals.

Bad boy for life. Real Bulgarian. God bless Mr. Stoichkov and to give him long and happy life. Who plays win Who does not play does not win Hristo Stoichkov

Greetings from Bulgaria man.So proud that people like you still remember Stoichkov and include him in videos like this

Fun fact: Stoichkov was appointed consul of honor in Catalunya due to his extreme popularity there.

Another great vid, what an amazing and special player he was, thank you for reminding us. Maybe you can also do a vid about Batistuta in the future? He was probably favourite striker back then.

I saw him for the first time with CSKA when he was 19-20 years old and I was 12-13.I mean I was a fan of this mad dog from the beginning and you have done brilliant job in this video describing the essence of the man and the player.After two or three seasons he would announce that his goal is to win Ballon d'Or,something so ridiculous even Salvador Dali would think twice about.Before him only a handful of Eastern European players had won it,and no Balkan player(Second is Luka Modric,a few years ago)and on top of that communist government in my country had banned the transfers of Bulgarian players in the West.One could not legally be transferred untill he is 28 years old,much too late to win anything let alone Ballon d'Or.And Hristo means Christ(the Saviour)

As a Bulgarian I'm really proud of him, he is by far the most successful player ever.

Super Video... and what i can say is that i train with his first coach in his first club in Bulgaria and i have his boots Puma with his autograph !!!

It's safe to say my old ass saw the golden era of fútbol, good times 😎

These videos are brilliant, thank you very much! I'm watching them everyday!

I've been waiting for this video for so long, I finally see it on my recommended, thank you man👍👍

There have been so many greats come out of the Balkans. Stoichkov, Savicevic, Boban, Hagi, Suker and many more.

my jack russel was called hristo , just died aged 18 rip legend

He is a LION, a WINNER with a big Bulgarian heart! Nowadays, we need more people like him in Bulgaria and in football. Legend! Very good video, my friend.

This is arguably the most detailed characteristic video about HS8 I've seen on the internet. Double thumbs up for the big effort to gather so much and different video footage - that was really impressive for non-Bulgarian! I've seen footage I've never seen before, dude! lol But I have to add.. If you only knew about his "craziness" during his coaching years... And about his English Language skills... lol He spoke phrases which are both hilarious and scandalous. His feud with the president of the Bulgarian Football Federation gave birth to many flying phrases and insults that has no match. A feud which is still on to day. His feud with the Bulgarian sports journalism ads extra spice. Despite he lately is very opened for interviews, mostly because of his autobiography book he released and the clothing brand "HS8" he launched. Anyways, he's loved, he has a strong personality, he gave us so much joy while playing for CSKA Sofia, Bulgarian National Team and FC Barcelona. He literally put Bulgaria on the map. He's our G.O.A.T. Many hate him because of his "big mouth", but mostly because they are jealous for his great success. In fact he did something that probably no Bulgarian football player will ever achieve again. (I'm hoping I would be disproved!) Greetings from Bulgaria and thanks again for the great video, I really enjoyed it! 😎👍

Great video mate, thanks! Stoichkov the greatest player of all times! Respect ❤️

Tenerife. what an amazing team

You tell a great story every time, keep it up. People will enjoy these videos

I always use him in any of my FIFA squads, loved him ever since my father (who lived a few minutes away from Hristo Stoichkov) told me about how good he was at the beautiful game.

Loved it! Love them all! Thanks and get better!

A great football player from a small paradise. Welcome to Bulgaria!

Watching him play during my childhood was a real honor and treat! His speed and brilliance is still unmatched today.

I'm English and since we didn't make the 94 world cup I didn't have a particular team to cheer on. Was watching the group games and Bulgaria v Mexico was brilliant with Stoichkov running on and scoring a fantastic smashed finish. Supported the Bulgarians from that point on and they were my second team after England in subsequent tournaments, and Stoichkov my favourite player (including England) for the next few years. Always thought it was a shame (for us) that we never saw him play in England, there were rumours Kevin Keegan wanted him at Newcastle for a while. Great player.

It's crazy how he ended up on the complete opposite side of the world working as a sports anchor/analyst for a mexican-american media/entertainment company in the united states and covers mexican soccer as well as european matches now. I watch him pretty much daily. I feel so lucky haha

One of my heroes, love your vids bro, keep it up!

The Greatest player!!!My Idol!!!He is a Legend!!!I'd been in Camp Nou few years ago and i saw the Golden Ball,t-shirt and everything of Stoichkov!!!I remember when i was 6-7 yo here had a chocolate box with picture of Stoichkov with Golden Ball in hands and his signature of course!Just one more time....Hristo is a Legend!!!

I lived in Spain in the 90s. I was a kid and was starting to enjoy watching football. Stoichkov was the first player that made me cry after single handedly beating the team that I supported. He was unplayable and the strongest character that I have ever seen. He became my favorite player even though he scored against my team every single time 😂😂😂

Thank you for this amazing video. 💖💖💖💖🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬

България има природа богата!България има дух несломим! България има от всичко по много, но Христо Стоичков е само един!

One of the greats. Maximum flair and personality. What a player.

Hristo Stoichkov is one of the reasons that makes me be proud of my Bulgarian roots and ethnicity. I wish nowadays our players had the talent and be capable of what the USA '94 team did back then. These legends aren't forgotten by the country...