Krasimir Balakov

At a glance

Source: Wikipedia: Krasimir Balakov¹

Playing career

Balakov began his senior club career with local side Etar Veliko Tarnovo. In 1990, he moved to Sporting CP in Portugal, where he played alongside Luís Figo, Yordanov and Paulo Sousa. During his time at Sporting, he won the Portuguese Cup in 1995.¹

In 1995, Balakov joined VfB Stuttgart. He won the DFB-Pokal in 1997 and the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2000 and 2002. At Stuttgart, he formed an attacking partnership with Fredi Bobic and Giovane Élber, known as the “magic triangle”. He retired from playing in 2003, then made one appearance for VFC Plauen in 2005 as player-manager.¹

Bulgaria career

Balakov made his Bulgaria debut on 2 November 1988, as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Denmark in a 1990 World Cup qualifying match. He went on to make 92 appearances and score 16 goals for the national team, playing from 1988 to 2003.¹

He was a key member of the Bulgaria side that finished fourth at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He also represented his country at Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup. At 37, he played in qualifying for Euro 2004, but retired before the final tournament.¹

Coaching and honours

After retiring, Balakov worked as an assistant coach at Stuttgart before managing VFC Plauen. His subsequent managerial roles included Grasshopper, St. Gallen, Chernomorets Burgas, Hajduk Split and 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He also managed the Bulgaria national team in 2019, Etar Veliko Tarnovo, CSKA 1948, Septemvri Sofia and Lokomotiv Sofia.¹

Balakov won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award in 1995 and 1997. He was named to the 1994 World Cup All-Star Team and the kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season for three consecutive seasons, from 1995–96 to 1997–98. In 2024, he left Lokomotiv Sofia after helping the club avoid relegation.¹

He left Lokomotiv Sofia in 2024 after helping the club avoid relegation.¹