Bulgaria

The New Bulgaria

Photo prise le 10 septembre 2003 en Andorre, de l'équipe de football de Bulgarie qualifiée pour la coupe d'Europe des nations 2004. (De gauche à droite, 1er rang: Iankovich Zoran, Petrov Stiliyan, Peev Georgi, Petrov Martin, Kirilov Rosen; 2ème rang : Ivankov Dimitar, Petkov Ivaylo, Pajin Predrag, Borimirov Daniel, Hristov Mariam, Berbatov Dimitar.) AFP PHOTO PASCAL PAVANI

While they were visibly drained at the end of their doomed 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign, falling to a 6-0 thrashing by the Czech Republic in the last match, it is now a rejuvenated Bulgaria side that is back on track and one of the qualifiers for Euro 2004 in Portugal.

New coach Plamen Markov and his protegees beat a handy Belgium team 2-0 to take a lead in Group 8 that they were never to relinquish, and although they lost their final match to eventual runners up Croatia, Bulgaria had booked their ticket To the finals two weeks earlier.

For Bulgaria fans this is a rare treat, their previous moment of glory coming at the 1994 World Cup when Hristo Stoickhov, Krassimir Balakov and Emil Kostadinov graced the side that reached the semi-finals in America.

The new generation's charge was led by young gun Dimitar Berbatov, who grabbed five goals in eight qualifiers and the up-and-coming Bayer Leverkusen man makes the perfect spearhead for Bulgaria's glistening game.

In the first round of the finals Bulgaria face Italy, Sweden and Denmark, all qualifying group winners too.

Favourites shocked

Much of the squad are still plying their trade in the less than fashionable Bulgarian league but possesses a rich vein of foreign based talent too: Marian Hristov (Kaiserlautern/Ger), Stilian Petrov (Glasgow Celtic/Sco) or Vladimir Manchev (Lille/FRA), players of solid and varying experience.

The simple fact that Belgium and Croatia had been hot favourites to take the direct qualification and play-off spots is testament to the actual quality of Manchev's charges, who seem dead set on bringing back the good times to Bulgarian football.

"Technically the Bulgarians are brilliant and have above all a rigour and organisation that make them difficult opponents even for the biggest European sides," Belgium coach Aime Anthuenis said chillingly ahead of the qualifying competition.

Though they go to Portugal with an underdog tag and have only made the final stages of the European championships once before (1996), they may just prove to be the surprise package in the summer of 2004.

Factfile on Bulgaria

Population

7.98 million

Area

110.910 km2

Capital

Sofia

Currency

Lev

Federation

Bulgarski Futbolen Sois (Bulgarian football Union), founded in 1923

Affiliated to FIFA

1924

Affiliated to UEFA

1954.

Registered players

Approx. 18,000

Colours

White shirts, green shorts, white socks (home and away strip to be verified)

Top clubs

CSKA Sofia, Levski Sofia, Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Chernomoretz, Botev Plovdiv

World Cup appearances

7 (1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1994, 1998)

World Cup honours

4th (1994), Second round (1986)

European Championship appearances

2 (1996, 2004)

European Championship honours

Eliminated at the first round (1996)

How they qualified

Finished top of Group 8 with 17 points (5 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat, 13 goals for, 4 goals against) ahead of Croatia (16pts), Belgium (16pts), Estonia (8pts) and Andorra (0pts)

Key players

Dimitar Berbatov, Stilian Petrov, Daniel Borimirov, Marian Hristov.

Coach

Plamen Markov