8 - Hristo Stoichkov

[Corb]

 

[mitkoa7x]

Най-големият

 

[Corb]

Какой хороший он был!

 

[Barcaman]

Nice one Corb. Was just about to post it myself.

Whata legend Hristo was

 

[FCBarca]

Watched that last night too...I first saw him with the Chicago Fire at the end of his career and he still had that magical left foot, before I realized he had played for Barcelona...At the same time, strange to see those highlights now though - the difference in the speed of the game is remarkable

 

[Barcaman]

There's a difference no doubt. I wouldn't say players were slower, the game was just different. Other factor was there were less athletic players and much less from SA or Africa as there are now. Hristo was no Sergi (faster than Alba) but he did have great acceleration.

 

[FCBarca]

Plus the turf was different, less even, manicured etc...Now it's not uncommon to have a pitch like a putting green...Still, some strange defending and lack of fitness at different junctures of the match...I think that's fairly normal in all sports, in time the level of athleticism has evolved and fitness, technology, nutrition etc. has contributed to it

 

[Corb]

Hristo was not only pace and acceleration, he was also power.

 

[FCBarca]

He was still powerful at the end of his career with the Fire, I can only imagine what he was like live with Barcelona

 

[mitkoa7x]

He was a pure character, hot tempered as they come.

 

[Barcaman]

Plus the turf was different, less even, manicured etc...Now it's not uncommon to have a pitch like a putting green...Still, some strange defending and lack of fitness at different junctures of the match...I think that's fairly normal in all sports, in time the level of athleticism has evolved and fitness, technology, nutrition etc. has contributed to it

That too. They simply lived in a different environment, less sterile one would say. His teammate Trifon Ivanov used to light a smoke just before he would go in and stunk of booze. It was one of his episodes from later on, when playing for Austria Wien or somewhere but you get my drift.

 

[FCBarca]

Smoking and playing, that's hilarious...I used to play hoops with a buddy in college, quick as hell and would often play with a little cig just dangling from his lips...Suffered from a collapsed lung several years later...Now doing better

 

[Corb]

15th of April 1992 hugging Koeman after beating Benfica 2-1 which let Barça to play the European Cup final:

Match info: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=1991/matches/round=45/match=4771/index.html

Hristo scored the first goal.

 

[desoe]

He could have been with two Ballon d'Ors right now. 1992 was his best year, but controversially they gave it to Van Basten. A lot of people still think Stoichkov was the rightful winner.

 

[desoe]

Too much power in one picture.