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At the 1994 World Cup, Stoichkov was awarded the Golden Boot as the top goal scorer of the tournament as he miraculously led his country to the semi-finals. Apart from his numerous awards and trophies, Stoichkov gained much popularity because of his aggressive on-pitch temper. His relentless attitude was known to irritate his opposition and enthrall his fans who preserve his image close to their hearts.
As a player, Stoichkov played as a left attacker/winger. His specialties included free kicks, penalties and taking unpredictable shots on goal. Stoichkov was also known for his explosive acceleration and speed dribbling.
He began his career with Bulgarian football club CSKA Sofia, before moving on to the more prestigious FC Barcelona and Parma A.C., and finally finishing his career in America with the Chicago Fire and D.C. United.
In the 2003- 04 season, he started a coaching career, serving as a forwards coach at Barça. After Bulgarian national team coach Plamen Markov resigned in the wake of the team's first-round exit from Euro 2004The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship commonly called EURO 2004 was held in Portugal between 12 June and 4 July 2004. The UEFA European Championship is a quadrennial football competition between national teams organised by UEFA, the sports governin, the Bulgaria Football Union named him as the new national team coach on 15 July.