Bulgaria's football megastar Hristo Stoitchkov will not join the farewell match of Krassimir Balakov, ex-leader of Bulgaria's national football team. The event will take place at Gotlieb Deimler stadium in Stuttgart on May 29 this year.
Stoitchkov expressed willingness to participate, but is unable to leave the USA while awating to be granted USA citizenship. There is no tension between me and Stoitchkov, football star Balakov said. He confessed that he was under pressure while Bulgaria's championship is still going.
Other Bulgarian and international football stars invited to join the fundraising match include Emil Kostadinov, Yordan Lechkov, Borislav Mihaylov, Lyuboslav Penev, Trifon Ivanov, Stiliyan Petrov and all stars of the Stuttgart Football Club.
EUR 50, 000 of the raised funds will be to SOS- Kinderdorf orphanages in Bulgaria.
Balakov played for the last time as a team captain in the friendly Bulgaria-Albania on April 30. The football star had an impressive career with Germany's Stuttgart and has won 91 caps and scored 16 goals for Bulgaria's national team.