{"id":143208,"date":"2023-10-29T18:21:36","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T18:21:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theprojectsworld.com\/?p=143208"},"modified":"2023-10-29T18:21:36","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T18:21:36","slug":"im-a-ballon-dor-winner-nicknamed-the-dagger-i-got-200k-to-play-twice-for-al-nassr-decades-before-cristiano-ronaldo-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theprojectsworld.com\/sport\/im-a-ballon-dor-winner-nicknamed-the-dagger-i-got-200k-to-play-twice-for-al-nassr-decades-before-cristiano-ronaldo-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"I'm a Ballon d'Or winner nicknamed The Dagger – I got \u00a3200k to play twice for Al-Nassr decades before Cristiano Ronaldo | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

HRISTO STOICHKOV was nicknamed The Dagger and was paid hundreds of thousands by Al-Nassr to play just TWO matches.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bulgarian was named his country's footballer of the year five times during his career.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

However, it was his Ballon d'Or win in 1994 which stands out after the winger beat Italian duo Roberto Baggio and Paolo Maldini to the award.<\/p>\n

Stoichkov had won the Golden Boot at that year's World Cup having lifted the LaLiga trophy with Barcelona weeks earlier.<\/p>\n

He even compared himself to God during his acceptance speech, claiming: "There are only two Christs; one plays for Barcelona, the other is in heaven."<\/p>\n

Across two spells with Barca, Stoichkov won 18 trophies, including the European Cup and five league titles.<\/p>\n

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During his time in Spain, he was affectionately labelled "El Pistolero" by supporters, meaning "The Gunslinger".<\/p>\n

However, he was more commonly nicknamed "The Dagger" as a player due to his presence and fiery temperament on the pitch.<\/p>\n

After his second stint at the Nou Camp, Stoichkov returned to Bulgaria with CSKA Sofia before spells in Saudi Arabia, Japan and the USA.<\/p>\n

His 10 months in the Middle East saw him play just twice, though, as part of a two-match deal with Al-Nassr.<\/p>\n

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Stoichkov joined the club in 1998 as they aimed to win the Asian Cup Winners' Cup.<\/p>\n

He was reportedly paid \u00a3165,000 to play in the semi-final and final, during which he scored the only goal to beat Suwon Bluewings.<\/p>\n

By the time he retired in 2003 at the age of 37, Stoichkov had scored 37 goals in 83 caps for Bulgaria.<\/p>\n

Those strikes included four at the 1994 World Cup to help his nation finish fourth, their best ever performance at the tournament.<\/p>\n

Since retiring, Stoichkov has embarked on a nomadic coaching career with managerial roles in Spain, South Africa and his native Bulgaria.<\/p>\n

He also spent three years as the national team's boss after taking over following their last major tournament in 2004.<\/p>\n

Stoichkov has been a co-owner of CSKA Sofia since 2016 after previously being both president and manager of his old club.<\/p>\n


\nSource: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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