"I Live Soccer"

Soccer Digest, Oct, 2000 by Everett J. Merrill

Forget the supposed temper and the numerous injuries, the driven, misunderstood Hristo Stoitchkov has been a boost to the Chicago Fire during the regular season--and could be a savior during the playoffs

CHICAGO FIRE MIDFIELDER Chris Armas vividly recalls the first time he saw Hristo Stoitchkov on the soccer pitch. It was the summer of 1994 and Stoitchkov and his Bulgarian teammates were about to upset Germany in the quarterfinals of the World Cup at Giants Stadium. Stoitchkov scored his country's first goal on a beautiful free kick en route to a 2-1 victory; however, it was his tenacity that impressed Armas.

"He seemed intense," recalls Armas, who was in the stadium that afternoon. "He looked like a mean guy. He was yelling a lot and making a lot of hand gestures at his teammates and at the referees. He played with a lot of intensity."

It's six years later, and at age 34 Stoitchkov is still displaying his passion for the game. He has joined Armas as a member of the Chicago Fire, becoming the latest superstar MLS has attracted from Europe. Unfortunately, much of the 2000 season has been injury time for "The Mad Bulgarian." He was slowed by a tear in his right groin muscle that kept him out of Chicago's lineup for close to two months. The nagging injury left him stalking the sidelines during games, gesticulating at his teammates, and making it difficult to decipher if it's him or head coach Bob Bradley who is in charge of the Fire.

"I love soccer, I live soccer," says Stoitchkov, speaking in Spanish through Fire assistant coach Denis Hamlet. "Without soccer it's very hard for me to live. I came here for the soccer. Aside from that, I can learn English and become a better person."

Stoitchkov's on-field antics are nothing more than an extreme desire to succeed. He is very demanding of both himself and his teammates.

"He's been great off the field," says Fire midfielder and former Polish national team member Peter Nowak. "Right from the start he was very communicative. You can still learn a lot from him, whether you're an old player or a young player. He respects the young players, but he doesn't like it when people waste their time or their talent."

Chicago pursued Stoitchkov for six months before finally signing him in March of this year. His acquisition followed considerable wrangling between the Fire and MLS leadership over the disbursement of foreign stars. The Fire felt they were not properly compensated when Mexican keeper Jorge Campos left the team before the 1998 playoffs nor when the club decided against the return of Polish veterans Roman Kosecki and Jerzy Podbrozny this year. Still, the Fire, who captured the 1998 MLS title, couldn't sign Stoitchkov without making room in its salary cap and obtaining a foreign allocation spot from another team. Each club has four.

The salary room was made prior to the season when Chicago traded defender Francis Okaroh to the Miami Fusion and released midfielder John Ball. The allocation spot opened without surrendering a player. San Jose had an available allocation after U.S. national team player Eddie Lewis was sold to Fulham of the English first division. The Earthquakes traded their spot to the Fire for their first round pick in the 2002 draft, two second round selections in 2001 and future considerations.

The league had hoped that marquee players like Stoitchkov and Lothar Matthaus of the MetroStars would give instant credibility to the fledgling league. They really haven't. Through July, Stoitchkov had played in only nine games, scoring five goals, and Matthaus has proved more of a distraction that an attraction, criticizing teammates, officials, and teammates. He left to compete in Euro 2000 for Germany, missing most of his team's games. Prior to his departure he too was slowed by an injury.

Stoitchkov's success in the 1994 World Cup--he scored six goals, and led Bulgaria to fourth place--was a major reason why he wanted to end his playing career in the United States.

"It was perfect," noted Stoitchkov of his World Cup experience. "The atmosphere was wonderful. There was incredible passion. I'm still surprised at how many people remember the goal I scored against Germany. That was a long time ago. It was as good as anywhere I have played in the world."

Stoitchkov has enjoyed remaining virtually anonymous in the Windy City. "Playing with Barcelona and the Bulgarian national team, everyone's watching you," Stoitchkov says. "You have to be very vigilant. You're always fighting for prestige. Sometimes people didn't like me because I was blunt and spoke directly. That's how I am. I'm not going to change."

It's a style that has gotten him into a few altercations throughout his distinguished international career. As a 19-year-old he was banned for a year after a player brawl at the Bulgarian Cup Final and he was suspended once for stomping on a referee's foot. In May of this season he earned a yellow card for arguing with a ref and he wasn't even playing in the game. He was carded for illegally entering the field.