How did your 1999 move from CSKA Sofia to Celtic, when you were 20, come about?
At the end of the season with CSKA, I played really well in an international match against England which we [Bulgaria] drew 1-1. Celtic enquired about me and the negotiations went very quickly. My phone wasn’t working, so the club couldn’t find me – they had to call friends and send a driver to pick me up. People were rushing about, because it was a big fee for the club [around £2.8 million], but I wanted to wait until I’d finished my holiday. I went back to Sofia with a change of clothes and flew to Scotland the next day. Young Stan was on his way!
Why didn’t things work out at Celtic for John Barnes, the man who signed you?
I couldn’t understand much of what was going on, due to the language barrier, but there was always fighting. I could see little cliques and problems. He couldn’t control the dressing room as there were some very powerful characters. It was John’s first job since retiring as a player, and a big one for him. The team was winning, but we had many internal issues. The players weren’t giving everything for him. Sometimes a job can come a bit too early for someone, but that doesn’t mean they’re a bad manager.
How did Martin O’Neill turn it around so fast, winning a treble in his first season?
Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av FourFourTwo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av FourFourTwo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
How Liverpool have changed under new manager Arne Slot
The Reds have had to adapt to life without their legendary boss Jurgen Klopp, But their new managers tactical tweaks showed highly promising early signs
Why Cole Palmer is an absolute genius on a football pitch
Chelsea’s attacking star attracts plenty of mirth for his interviews, but he often displays unrivalled intelligence in the heat of Premier League action
CORINTHIANS X SENNA 2018-19
Kit connoisseur Phil Delves looks back at an ultimate 'collab shirt' from South America - one that heralded a black and gold craze
"THE MISSILE SIRENS WOULD START DURING TRAINING, SO WE'D HAVE TO GO INSIDE AND TAKE COVER"
The Welsh international striker recalls growing up in Africa, humiliation at Derby and air strikes in Israel, not to mention a certain hat-tricks record...
"I SWAPPED SHIRTS WITH ETO'O AFTER MY DEBUT HE PROBABLY USED MINE ON HIS WINDOWS"
The lifelong Magpie opens up about earning Sir Bobby’s trust, his new career in the Middle East, and how Ruud van Nistelrooy knew I wanted to kick him”
"SVEN GOT IN TOUCH TO SEE IF I'D BE KEEN ON PLAYING FOR ENGLAND THAT MADE ME SO PROUD"
The former Italian shot-stopper tells FourFourTwo about following in his father’s footsteps at Milan and the game that changed Chelsea forever...
Why Thomas Tuchel is the perfect fit for the England job
The new gaffer might not have been born and bred in Barnsley, but he’s long proved himself to be particularly astute in high-profile knockout competitions
GREEN SHOOTS
Less than two years ago, Saint-Etienne were at real risk of relegation to the semi-professional third tier - unthinkable for a club who were the finest in France throughout the 1960s and '70s. Now Les Verts are back in the big time following last term's Ligue 2 play-off success. Oh, and they're also billionaires...
Why I love Scottish football
The legendary goal-getter recounts his strangest tales, featuring Graeme Souness punch-ups, broken sofas, Duncan Ferguson's errant pigeon and, of course, Gazza...
A MATCH WITH THE MONKS THE GREATEST COMPETITION PRIZE EVER
A globe-trotting FourFourTwo has gone beyond even Tanzania’s borders this month. American fan Matthew Eide of the Far Away Football blog ventured to equally mountainous Bhutan, after winning the most unusual of raffles...
