Bulgaria’s Golden Team Marked 20th Anniversary of Famous Win

The Bulgarian team celebrates after Emil Kostadinov's last minute goal in Paris. File photo

Members of Bulgaria’ 1993 national team gathered on Sunday to mark the 20th anniversary of the famous victory over France in the qualifications for the 1994 World Cup.

On November 17, 1993, Bulgaria beat France 2:1 in Paris with a dramatic last minute goal of Emil Kostadinov. This sealed Bulgaria’s spot in the following year’s World Cup in the United States, where the team shocked everybody by reaching the semi-finals.

Legendary coach Dimitar Penev marked the memorable date in the company of the hero Emil Kostadinov, current national coach Lyuboslav Penev, Bulgarian Football Union President Borislav Mihaylov, Yordan Lechkov, Nasko Sirakov, and other members of the former team, in a restaurant in Sofia.

Hristo Stoichkov, Krasimir Balakov, and Trifon Ivanov were unable to attend.

“Parc des Princes” (the name of the stadium in Paris), is famous as the venue for one of Bulgaria’s most astounding wins in its football history. Without Kostadinov’s goal, the team would not have been able to achieve its huge success in 1994.

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