Krassimir Balakov

Krassimir Balakov was born on March 29, 1966 in Veliko Tarnovo. Balakov is a former Bulgarian football (soccer) player, a member of the Bulgarian national team that finished fourth in the 1994 World Cup.Krassimir Balakov started out his career at the local FC Etar Veliko Tarnovo. Later, in 1990 Balakov was transferred to Portugal's Sporting Lisbon, and then to Germany's VfB Stuttgart in 1995. He stayed at Stuttgart before retiring as a player in 2003. Balakov currently manages Swiss Super League side Grasshopper-Club Zürich.

Krassimir Balakov was certainly one of the best midfielders in the Bulgarian national team. Balakov’s excellent technique and his precise and powerful shots from wide range made him an irreplaceable player for every team he had played for. Balakov’s achievements include a Bulgarian championship with Etar Veliko Turnovo and a Portuguese Cup with Sporting Lisbon.

Balakov had 92 appearances between 1988 and 2003 (one of the best totals in national history) for Bulgaria and scored 16 goals. Besides the 1994 World Cup, he also played for Bulgaria at Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup. Krassimir Balakov is considered to be one of the greatest Bulgarian footballers of his generation.