Hristo Stoichkov has been named as the new coach of Primera Liga strugglers Celta Vigo after relinquishing control of the Bulgarian national team. The former Barcelona striker replaces Fernando Vazquez, who parted company with the club on Monday after Celta slumped into the relegation zone following a run of just one win in their last 18 league matches.Stoichkov had been in charge of Bulgaria since after Euro 2004, but stepped down earlier on Tuesday. A statement on the Celta website read: "Hristo Stoichkov is the new coach of Celta. "The club have finalised an agreement with the Bulgarian, who until now has been the coach of his country's national team.
Stoichkov is probably best known for his time as a player at Barcelona, where he spent seven seasons in two spells during the 1990s. During his time at the Nou Camp, the left-footed Bulgarian scored 162 goals in 336 games and picked up a host of winners medals, including five league titles and the 1992 European Cup.
He also won the Balon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1995 and finished as joint-top scorer at the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Aside from playing for Barca, the much-travelled forward also represented the likes of CSKA Sofia in his homeland, Parma, Al-Nasar in Saudi Arabia, Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol and MLS outfit Chicago Fire.
He also had an impressive record as coach of Bulgaria, and he leaves them well placed in Euro 2008 qualifying Group G to claim one of the two automatic berths for a place in Austria and Switzerland next summer.
Stoichkov takes over a Celta side in deep trouble near the foot of the Primera Liga. Vazquez's final game in charge was Sunday's 4-2 defeat at Recreativo Huelva, a result that left the Galician club in 18th spot, two points adrift of safety with only nine games remaining.
Vazquez became the sixth managerial casualty of the Primera Liga season, following Jose Mari Bakero (Real Sociedad), Luis Cesar (Gimnastic Tarragona), Felix Sarriugarte (Athletic Bilbao), Javier Irureta (Real Betis) and Juan Ramon Lopez Caro (Levante).
Those six clubs are the ones currently occupying the bottom six places in La Liga.
