Football star Krassimir Balakov got a rousing farewell at Gotlieb Deimler stadium as he scored a goal in his last match in Stuttgart May 24, guaranteeing for Stuttgart a Champions League berth.

Balakov, 37, scored from penalties the second goal against Wolfsburg.

A total of 49,000 fans gathered at the stadium to watch the last match in the career of Balakov and applauded the Bulgarian megastar from the very beginning.

The perplexing performance by Dortmund allowed Stuttgart to forge past them with a 2-0 win against Wolfsburg on the goals by Kevin Kuranyi and veteran Bulgarian Krassimir Balakov. While Stuttgart is guaranteed Champions League berth , third-placed Dortmund will have to go through a qualifying round to make the main draw.

Among the first to congratulate Balakov as he was leaving the stadium was Bulgarian Martin Petrov, who has been playing for Wolfsburg.

DAP commented a day earlier that the 37-year-old was not always popular in Stuttgart where he has been playing since 1995. But all troubles with former coaches have been forgotten as Balakov captained Stuttgart to a top three finish in his new role as team leader of young talents.

"In the past I was only thinking about myself. Now I am part of the club, the team, which have a common goal," said Balakov.

"I was a pro for 21 years, made a good name for myself in the sport and had many ups and downs. Now I am tired, mentally tired," said Balakov.

Bulgaria famously beat the Germans at the quarter-final stage of the 1994 World Cup.

Bulgarian captain and Stuttgart star Krassimir Balakov played with the national team for the last time in the friendly Bulgaria-Albania April 30. Balakov appeared on the pitch for nine minutes to help the Bulgarian team win 2:0.

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