That unforgettable Bulgarian team

Last update 28 April, 2023 por Alberto Llopis

Aquella bulgarian team of the years 90 It marked an era. En el Mundial de USA 1994, He reached fourth place and was one of the revelations of the tournament. Hand Hristo Stoichkov, los Letchkov. Ivanov (RIP), Kostadinov and company, they went down in history. But before those crazy Bulgarians conquered the USA 94, they made a very big machada too. Killing France in their own field.

That Bulgarian team that eliminated France

Bulgaria, appeared in a packed Princes Park in Paris with the credentials of never having passed the round of 16 in a World Cup and never having even played in a Euro Cup final phase. Everything seemed aimed at France certifying a new World Cup presence after the fiasco of Italia 90 as a tie against him worth a combined traditional footballing hardly but with very good players.

Moreover when his eleven had players like Petit, Desailly, Papin or Cantona Deschamps and when twilight had anticipated Gerard Houllier's half an hour. Sin embargo, a double by Emil Kostadinov led to what is one of the biggest football Blots I Gallo.

First a header shortly before the break and then a volley in the last minute of the game served to classify a team that had players like Hristo Stoichkov or Luboslav Penev at the point of attack and Letchkov, Balakov and Kostadinov in the middle of the field. A team that left crying moved to Paris and throughout France, as well you can be seen in the following video.

A real great team with imagination, impudence, so a certain amount of anarchy own selections such East European and especially much talent he undertook a journey (without Penev to testicular cancer which set him apart from the possibility) the brightest period in its history. Because if the Parc des Princes and France was the beginning, The United States was the culmination of a dream.

Made history in the USA 94

Aquellos irreverent bulgarians they messed it up on American soil. After winning 2-0 to Maradona's Argentina (It would end up being punished) and classified into a group where they were also Nigeria (against whom he lost 3-0), Grecia (which would win 4-0), Bulgarian box would defeat Mexico in the second round in a dramatic penalty shootout, and then finish with Germany, vigente campeona, with a majestic Stoichkov (2-1) and it is planted in a semifinal in which only Italy Roberto Baggio could stop.

A more fitting end for a team that finally collapse in the fight for the third place against Sweden fell by a convincing 4-0, but that would leave a breath of fresh air to the world football. Because if something showed that feat this small country of only seven million people is that talent can get anywhere. And them, they had, además, pour.

The lineup of that game

For the most nostalgic, This was the alignment of the famous France-Bulgaria of the 17 de noviembre de 1993:

Francia: Lama, Desailly, Roche, Blanc, Petit, Le Guen, Deschamps, Sauzée (Guérin, 81′), Pedros, The priest (Ginola, 69′), Cantona. Entr.: Houllier.

Bulgaria: Mikhail, Kremenliev, Ivanov, Khubtchev, Tzvetanov (Alexandrov, 82′), Yankov, Letchkov (Borimirov, 82′), Balakov, Kostadinov, L. Penev, Stoitchkov. Entr.: D. Penev.