"As a kid, I broke a lot of windows"

Original article from France Football, published in 2024.

The man is as candid as he is elusive. It took nine months to finally pin him down. Stoitchkov splits his time between Malaga, Spain, where he resides, and his frequent travels to Miami, Barcelona, and Sofia. It was in the Bulgarian capital, the stage of his earliest triumphs, that he welcomed us to his museum—one of the few in the world dedicated to a football legend, alongside those of Pelé in Santos, Diego Maradona in Buenos Aires, and Cristiano Ronaldo in Funchal.

Ever the showman, Hristo Stoitchkov playfully strikes the same pose in his museum as he did for the France Football cover photo on December 20, 1994.

For this special occasion, the star pulled out all the stops. He retrieved his Ballon d'Or from the bank vault where it has been kept for three decades, placed it on a coffee table, and invited us to sit amidst a setting as grand as his own persona. Above our heads, a giant screen played a continuous loop of his greatest goals and clips from the French TV show "Nulle Part Ailleurs," where on December 20, 1994, he was officially named the Ballon d'Or winner—following in the footsteps of his idol Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979) and his mentor Johan Cruyff (1971, 1973, 1974).

Hristo's Bio

Age 58. Born February 8, 1966, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. 1.78 m; 76 kg. Position: Forward (left winger). Bulgarian international (83 caps, 37 goals).

Playing Career Maritsa Plovdiv (1976-1981) Yuri Gagarin Plovdiv (1981-82) Hebros Harmanli (1982-1985) CSKA Sofia (1985-1990) FC Barcelona (1990-1995) Parma (1995-96) FC Barcelona (1996-March 1998) CSKA Sofia (March-April 1998) Al-Nassr (April 1998) CSKA Sofia (April-July 1998) Kashiwa Reysol (1998-1999) Chicago Fire (March 2000-December 2002) D.C. United (January-December 2003)Honors Champions League: 1992 Cup Winners' Cup: 1997 European Super Cup: 1992, 1997 Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 1998 Bulgarian Championship: 1987, 1989, 1990 Spanish Championship: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998 Bulgarian Cup: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989 Spanish Cup: 1997, 1998 U.S. Open Cup: 2000 Japanese League Cup: 1999 Bulgarian Supercup: 1989 Spanish Supercup: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996 Ballon d'Or: 1994 European Golden Shoe: 1990 World Cup Joint Top Scorer: 1994 Bulgarian League Top Scorer: 1989, 1990

Two weeks before that ceremony, the life of the boy from Plovdiv—Bulgaria's second-largest city, 150 km southeast of Sofia—was turned upside down. On the morning of December 6, his wife Mariana interrupted his stretching routine. Tennis player Arantxa Sánchez, a friend of the couple, was on the phone and insisted on speaking with him. A French journalist wanted to meet him at the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I in Barcelona. However, Bulgaria's number 8—a number that followed him throughout his career, as he was born on February 8 and it also symbolizes infinity—held a grudge against the French after his team finished fourth at the World Cup in the USA six months earlier.

"I hate two things in life: thieves and liars."

— Hristo Stoitchkov

"That son of a b Joël Quiniou killed us. How could he not see Alessandro Costacurta's handball (69th minute) and not award us a penalty? I will never forgive him," Stoitchkov still fumes, referring to the semi-final won by the Nazionale at Giants Stadium in New York (2-1). The French referee could have also awarded another penalty for a foul on Letchkov (90th minute), but had already given a more debatable one to the Bulgarians before halftime, which Stoitchkov converted. "I hate two things in life: thieves and liars," he declares, looking you straight in the eye. Nicknamed "The Dagger," he adds, "If you cross me, you won't get a second chance."

A Culture of Sport and Winning

Despite his initial reluctance, the hot-headed star agreed to meet Stéphane Saint-Raymond, the special correspondent from France Football, in the lobby of the Barcelona hotel. "He introduced himself, took me aside, and asked me to pose with the Ballon d'Or, but I refused because I had heard they did the same thing with Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio, the other two favorites," the former striker explains. The reporter insisted, asking Stoitchkov to accompany him to one of the hotel's suites. "He closed the door behind me and said, with a tear in his eye: 'I'm going to tell you a secret, promise me you won't tell anyone.'"

"'You've won the Ballon d'Or, here it is.' I leaned over and saw my name engraved on it. I took hold of it and told Stéphane: 'Now, I'm not letting go.' I couldn't stop crying."

Hristo Stoitchkov remains deeply attached to his Ballon d'Or, which he keeps in a bank vault. Born during the Cold War into a modest family—his father a soldier, his mother a factory worker—in what was then the Eastern Bloc, Stoitchkov appreciates the long journey he took to reach what he considers "his Everest."

"I grew up in a closed, communist country, but I had a happy childhood," he affirms. "We spent our summers in Yasno Pole, my grandparents' village about twenty kilometers from Plovdiv, out in the fields among the cows and sheep. I always had a ball at my feet, practicing against walls. I also broke quite a few windows, which earned me a few beatings."

Raised in a culture of sport and winning, surrounded by uncles who were athletes, handball players, or boxers, the son of a goalkeeper (his father played for Spartak Plovdiv) joined the Maritsa Plovdiv academy at age 10, then FC Hebros in the Bulgarian third division. It was his track and field coach, his first sport, who gave him the tools to dominate the competition. "He taught me how to run, how to get a good start. His advice was very useful to me in football," he reveals. Yet, the young Stoitchkov began as a central defender. "I was very fast, so it was difficult for an attacker to get away. But given my speed, they moved me to left wing or second striker."

Life Ban

Scouted at 18 by CSKA Sofia, he quickly became the darling of Bulgaria's biggest club (31 league titles), but his fiery temperament was already causing trouble. On June 19, 1985, the Cup final against Levski Sofia (a 2-1 win) descended into a brawl. Under the influence of Todor Zhivkov's strict communist regime, the federation handed down heavy suspensions to several players involved. Accused of instigating the chaos, the young prodigy received a lifetime ban.

"The government wanted to make an example of people, and since I was young, I was an easy target," Stoitchkov explains. His sentence was later reduced to one year. After six months of military service and a few matches played illegally as an amateur under the name Angel Stankov, he was reinstated into the red and white squad.

Stoitchkov: "We have diamonds to polish in the Balkans"

For six seasons, he would completely dominate the domestic league. In the spring of 1989, during the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, he delivered a masterful performance against Johan Cruyff's great Barcelona side (2-4, 1-2), beating Andoni Zubizarreta three times, including a brace at Camp Nou. The Dutch maestro was captivated. "I want that number 8, at any price!" he told the famous agent Josep Maria Minguella, the architect of Diego Maradona's transfer to the Blaugrana in 1982, after the match.

"Johan Cruyff put me in the best possible conditions for a player to succeed." - Hristo Stoitchkov

His transfer was confirmed a few weeks later for €3 million—a handsome sum for the time—but the star had one last mission to accomplish before leaving home. "I wanted to break the single-season goal record held by Petar Zhekov (with CSKA) in the league." With 38 goals, two more than the 1969 Golden Shoe winner, he claimed the title of Europe's top scorer for the 1989-1990 season, sharing the honor with Real Madrid's Hugo Sánchez.

Barcelona's Red Card Record-Holder

In Barcelona, he instantly became a favorite of the fans and of Cruyff, who built his team around him, convinced of his immense talent. "Johan put me in the best possible conditions for a player to succeed and shine," he recalls. "He built a team that played beautiful football, and I was the finisher." On May 20, 1992, the "Dream Team" won Barça's first-ever European Cup, thanks to a thunderous free-kick from Ronald Koeman in extra time against Sampdoria (1-0).

"I have enormous respect for Marco (van Basten), but I thought I would win the 1992 Ballon d'Or." - Hristo Stoitchkov

At the end of the year, however, it was Marco van Basten (98 points) who lifted his third Ballon d'Or, much to the dismay of Stoitchkov, who finished second with 80 points.

Hristo Stoitchkov, the iconic Barcelona forward, remains as outspoken as ever, even when reflecting on his 1994 Ballon d'Or victory. He narrowly beat out AC Milan's Marco van Basten, a result he believes was influenced by off-field politics.

"I have enormous respect and admiration for Marco, don't get me wrong, but I really thought I would win it. I am convinced that (Silvio) Berlusconi (then president of AC Milan) pulled his media strings to influence the vote," states the strong-willed Bulgarian, whose on-field behavior was not always exemplary.

Stoitchkov, who still holds the record for the most red cards (11) in a Blaugrana shirt, was once suspended for six months (later reduced to two) for stamping on a referee's foot during the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on December 5, 1990. "You can't change your personality," the Bulgarian defends himself, smiling as he confirms a legendary story about puncturing a ball with his teeth in anger as a child. "I'll soon be 60, and I'm still the same. I always fought for my teammates, for the shirt I wore. My friends and family know who I really am. They've been the same people forever, that must mean something, right?"

Following the infamous referee incident, Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff took him aside for a private conversation. "He told me: 'I'm starting from scratch with you, we're going to go for this Ballon d'Or together.' We worked hard; he had me do extra drills in front of goal and repeat plays that helped me improve. Johan is like a father to me; he gave me so much. Yet, at the beginning, it wasn't easy. I often stood up to him."

1994: A Magical Year

The ultimate recognition came at the end of a remarkable 1994. The year included a fourth consecutive La Liga title, a stinging 4-0 defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League final, and a World Cup where he finished as joint top scorer with Russia's Oleg Salenko (6 goals). During that tournament, he led Bulgaria to a historic fourth-place finish, just eight months after his team famously eliminated France from qualifying at the Parc des Princes (2-1).

"We had a fantastic team, the best our country has ever had," proclaims the emblematic former national team captain. "It's no coincidence that we qualified at the expense of the French team. If you look at it position by position, we were better than them. The French were nervous in the stadium that night, in the stands and on the pitch. It might seem strange to you, but it was from that match that my friendship with Laurent Blanc, Jean-Pierre Papin, and Bernard Lama was born..."

The conversation then turned to the racism allegations made against him by Marcel Desailly following a group stage match at Euro 1996 (a 3-1 win for France). "We had a spat on the field, but I never said anything like that to him," Stoitchkov swears. "For years, we would see each other at UEFA and FIFA events, sometimes sitting side by side, and we would ignore each other. One day, I decided to go talk to him because I couldn't stand the situation anymore. I'm grateful to Marcel for agreeing to sit down and talk. It's settled now."

1994 Ballon d'Or Rankings 1. Hristo Stoitchkov (BUL, FC Barcelona), 210 points 2. Roberto Baggio (ITA, Juventus), 136 pts 3. Paolo Maldini (ITA, AC Milan), 109 pts 4. Gheorghe Hagi (ROU, Brescia, FC Barcelona), 68 pts -. Tomas Brolin (SWE, Parma), 68 pts 6. Jürgen Klinsmann (GER, Monaco, Tottenham), 43 pts 7. Thomas Ravelli (SWE, IFK Göteborg), 21 pts 8. Jari Litmanen (FIN, Ajax), 12 pts 9. Marcel Desailly (FRA, AC Milan), 8 pts -. Dejan Savicevic (YUG, AC Milan), 8 pts 11. Franco Baresi (ITA, AC Milan), 7 pts -. Michel Preud'homme (BEL, Mechelen, Benfica), 7 pts 13. Michael Laudrup (DEN, Real Madrid), 4 pts -. Yordan Letchkov (BUL, Hamburg), 4 pts -. Éric Cantona (FRA, Manchester United), 4 pts 16. Krassimir Balakov (BUL, Sporting CP), 3 pts -. José Luis Caminero (ESP, Atlético de Madrid), 3 pts -. Lothar Matthäus (GER, Bayern Munich), 3 pts -. Jean-Pierre Papin (FRA, AC Milan, Bayern Munich), 3 pts -. Giuseppe Signori (ITA, Lazio), 3 pts 21. Philippe Albert (BEL, Anderlecht, Newcastle), 2 pts -. Otto Konrad (AUT, Austria Salzburg), 2 pts -. Ciriaco Sforza (SUI, Kaiserslautern), 2 pts 24. Kennet Andersson (SWE, Lille, Caen), 1 pt -. Zvonimir Boban (CRO, AC Milan), 1 pt -. Martin Dahlin (SWE, Mönchengladbach), 1 pt -. Josep Guardiola (ESP, FC Barcelona), 1 pt -. Andreas Möller (GER, Borussia Dortmund), 1 pt

The Bulgarian striker left an indelible mark on the 1994 World Cup, a tournament he helped his nation qualify for by famously eliminating a French side featuring Marcel Desailly on November 17, 1993.

A year before Euro '96, Stoichkov packed his bags for Parma. After a mixed season in northern Italy, where he scored 7 goals in 30 appearances, he returned to Barcelona for two more years. However, his form had faded, and Louis van Gaal, who took over as manager for the Bulgarian's final season (1997-1998), made it clear he was no longer in his plans.

Stoichkov: "Kylian Mbappé is the top candidate for the Ballon d'Or"

Driven by new ambitions, Stoichkov sought to explore the world. Long before Cristiano Ronaldo, he wore the jersey of Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and later Kashiwa Reysol in Japan. He then moved to the United States, playing for the Chicago Fire and D.C. United. "There's a large Bulgarian community in both of those cities, and I wanted to experience something different," he explained.

An Unfulfilled Coaching Career

The 1994 Ballon d'Or winner hung up his boots in 2003 in the American capital and, the very next year, took the reins of the Bulgarian national team. Tasked with a generation far less talented than the one he played with, he failed to qualify the team for the 2006 World Cup and ultimately resigned in the spring of 2007. After a brief stint on the bench at Celta Vigo, he was appointed manager of Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa in 2009, drawn by businessman Patrice Motsepe, who is now the president of the Confederation of African Football. Stoichkov's modest coaching career concluded back in Bulgaria, where he led Litex Lovech to a fifth-place league finish in 2013 before acquiring a stake in his beloved club, CSKA Sofia, in 2016.

"Bringing all the Ballon d'Or winners together in Sofia would be fantastic."

— Hristo Stoichkov

Now a pundit for Univision, a Miami-based American television network for the Latino community, Stoichkov has cultivated a reputation for showmanship and provocation. In January 2022, he delivered a scathing on-air critique of Ousmane Dembélé: "If you don't want to be at Barça, at least don't tarnish the badge. Get out and say thank you for spending four and a half years making people believe you could play football. If you don't like Barça, thank you very much and goodbye!" He also fiercely criticized Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, then Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, calling her a "Francoist, like her grandfather, her father, and her son," during the clashes between police and citizens over the banned Catalan independence referendum. "How can you hit people like that? I imagined myself with my little girl in Barcelona, being attacked like that, and I couldn't tolerate it!" Stoichkov exclaimed.

The boy from Plovdiv dreamed of a golden destiny and ultimately joined the exclusive circle of Ballon d'Or winners at Barça, alongside legends like Luis Suárez, Johan Cruyff, and Ronaldinho.

Stoichkov is immensely proud of his Ballon d'Or—the wax statue in his museum even depicts him receiving the prestigious trophy. He dreams of gathering all the living recipients in Sofia for a grand celebration. "Imagine, it would be fantastic," he tells us. When reminded that all former winners are invited to the annual ceremony, which will be held this year on October 28 in Paris, he confirms his intention to be there. Just as he was last year, and just as he was thirty years ago when he traveled to France to claim his own award, he will be present, loyal to the occasion and proud as ever.