Yordan Letchkov’s nephew Ivan Stoyanov, 20, was invited to the national football team for a friendly against Azerbaijan. The game will take place November 17. Photo by segabg.com
Bulgarian football coach Hristo Stoitchkov brought to the spotlight three more juniors, as he invited them to the national team for a friendly against Azerbaijan.
Among the three is Ivan Stoyanov, the nephew of national team legend Yordan Lechkov. The midfielder played side by side with Stoitchkov ten years ago, when the Bulgarians reached the No.4 spot in the World Championship.
The captain of Bulgaria's Under-21, Dimitar Rangelov, and teammate Kostadin Hazurov will be the other two beginners in the national team.
Bringing young players to the fore has already become a landmark for Stoitchkov's coaching style. His teen favorite Valeri Bojinov (18) and national team deb Blagoy Georgiev (22) received a highly positive evaluation from sport observers.
National team captain Stilian Petrov, however, will miss the Azerbaijan match-up on November 17. Petrov was also banned from Bulgaria's two forthcoming World Cup qualifiers, after he saw two red cards in two consecutive games.