Hristo Stoichkov (born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria) is a former Bulgarian footballer and former Bulgarian international who plays as a striker and has been dubbed "Thunderbolt Fire" by the Chinese media for his superb left-foot skills and fiery temper.
Heristo Stoichkov played for CSKA Sofia, Barcelona, Parma and other teams, winning four La Liga titles and one Champions League. He led the Bulgarian national team to two World Cup matches, winning the top scorer of the 1994 World Cup (tied) and the European Footballer of the Year. Later in his career, he made it to Japanese and American leagues. After announcing his retirement in 2003, he became a football coach.
Stoichkov's performance in Europe impressed John Cruyff, who was in charge of the Barca coaching whip at the time! After experiencing the power of this Eastern European genius, Cruyff desperately took him to the Camp Nou, and Cruyff signed the Eastern European genius for a whopping $4.5 million for five years at the time. The Dream Team, built by Cruyff at his core, ushered in another golden age in Barca's history.
Cruyff was not the first person to discover this pearl, but he was the biggest contributor to Stoichkov's growth into the world's top star, and the hot-tempered and stubborn Stoichkov finally began to explode all his football talents under Cruyff's tutelage.
Remember that fantastic free kick from the '94 World Cup against Germany?
Bulgaria's superstar, no less temperamental than Stoichkov in Cantona!!!