#BULGARIA#

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Current FIFA Ranking: 35th
Qualified: Winner of European Group 5
Qualifying record: 
                  W  L  T  GF GA  PTS
                  6  2  0  18  9   18

Previous World Cup appearances: 6
World Cup record: 3-13-7
World Cup goals for/against: 21-46
Best performance: Semifinals in 1994 (4th)

Primary Uniform Colors (shirt-shorts-socks): white-green-white
Secondary Uniform Colors: red-green-white

1998 World Cup group: Group D
1998 World Cup schedule: Friday, June 12 vs. Paraguay (at Montpellier)
                         Friday, June 19 vs. Nigeria (at Paris)
                         Wednesday, June 24 vs. Spain (at Lens)

COACH: Hristo Bonev

KEY PLAYERS: Hristo Stoichkov (CSKA Sofia), Lyuboslav Penev
             (Compostela, Spain), Krassimir Balakov (Stuttgart, Germany),
             Daniel Borimirov (1860 Munich, Germany)

OUTLOOK: The best Bulgarian soccer generation will conclude its 
         successful era in France.  This aging group of players will 
         give it their all in the most difficult preliminary group, 
         but their motors could well run out before the tournament 
         is over.  

         Bulgaria is not short on quality players, many of whom return
         from the squad which captured fourth place four years ago.

         All areas are solid and the team is led by talented and 
         temperamental forward Hristo Stoichkov.  The 32-year-old
         shared USA '94 scoring honors by netting six goals.  He is 
         joined up front by 30-year-old Emil Kostadinov, who was the
         high scorer with five goals in the qualifiers.

         The Bulgaria lineup, which also includes Krasimir Balakov (32), 
         Ivailo Yordanov (30), Lyuboslav Penev (31) and Borislav Mihailov
         (36), is one of the oldest that will be competing in France.

         Penev feels that a veteran group is best suited for this type
         of competition.  

         "People say our team lacks young legs, but who's to say that 
         a team of wise old heads isn't best prepared for high pressure 
         competition," Penev said. "Were not about to fade back into 
         obscurity without a fight."

         Bulgaria could produce surprises in France, but don't expect
         a repeat of 1994.