EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS - 2014/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski - Sunday 16 November 2014 20.45CET (21.45 local time) Malta Group H - Matchday 4 Last updated 02/06/2015 07:28CET

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Match background 2 Legend 3

1 Bulgaria - Malta Sunday 16 November 2014 - 20.45CET (21.45 local time) Match press kit Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski, Sofia

Match background

With nearly 40 years since their last UEFA European Championship encounters, Bulgaria will look to confirm their historical supremacy over Malta in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group H. Match background • Bulgaria's 11 matches against Malta have ended W9 D2 L0 (W5 D0 L0 at home, W4 D2 L0 in Malta). • They first came together in their only previous UEFA European Championship encounters, in qualifying for the 1976 finals. On 1 June 1975, Stoyan Ormandzhiev's Bulgaria beat Terenzio Polvertini's Malta 5-0 in Sofia, with goals from Borislav Dimitrov (2), Georgi Denev (22), Pavel Panov (25), Hristo Bonev (68) and Kiril Milanov (71). Panov (69) and Stoyan Iordanov (88) scored in the return fixture on 21 December 1975, a 2-0 win at Empire Stadium in Gzira. • The sides have been paired in three FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns – for the 2002, 2006 and 2014 finals. In those most recent games, Luboslav Penev's Bulgaria beat Pietro Ghedin's Malta 6-0 in Sofia on 22 March 2013, Alexandar Tonev scoring his first three international goals (6, 38 and 68), with Ivelin Popov (47), Emil Gargarov (55) and Ivan Ivanov (78) completing the rout. • The return leg in Ta' Qali was closer, Radoslav Dimitrov (9) and Emil Gargorov (59) scoring for the visitors, before Edward Herrera (78) gave Malta some late hope. • The nations' nine meetings in UEFA youth and age-group competitions have ended W7 D2 L0 to the Bulgarian sides, with the most recent encounter a 1-1 UEFA European Under-21 Championship draw in Ta' Qali on 11 October 2005. • The nations' clubs have met nine times in UEFA competition with the Bulgarian sides victorious in all nine matches. Most recently, PFC Litex Lovech beat Sliema Wanderers FC 7-0 on aggregate in the first round of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup.

2 Bulgaria - Malta Sunday 16 November 2014 - 20.45CET (21.45 local time) Match press kit Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski, Sofia Legend

:: Previous meetings

Goals for/against: Goal totals include the outcome of disciplinary decisions (e.g. match forfeits when a 3-0 result is determined). Goals totals do not include goals scored during a penalty shoot-out after a tie ended in a draw

:: Squad list

Qual.: Total European Qualifiers appearances/goals for UEFA EURO 2016 only. FT: Total UEFA EURO 2016 appearances/goals in final tournament only. Overall: Total international appearances/goals. DoB: Date of birth Age: Based on the date press kit was last updated D: Disciplinary (*: misses next match if booked, S: suspended)

:: Team facts

EURO finals: The UEFA European Championship was a four-team event in 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 (when the preliminary round and quarter-finals were considered part of qualifying).

From 1980 it was expanded to an eight-team finals and remained in that format in 1984, 1988 and 1992 until 1996, when the 16-team format was adopted. UEFA EURO 2016 is the first tournament to be played as a 24-team finals.

Records of inactive countries A number of UEFA associations have been affected by dissolution or splits of member associations. For statistical purposes, the records of these inactive countries have been allocated elsewhere: therefore, all Soviet Union matches are awarded to Russia; all West Germany – but not East Germany – matches are awarded to Germany; all Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro matches are awarded to Serbia; all Czechoslovakia matches are allocated to both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Abandoned/forfeited matches For statisical purposes, when a match has been started and then abandoned but later forfeited, the result on the pitch at the time of abandonment is counted. Matches that never started and were either cancelled or forfeited are not included in the overall statistics. Competitions Other abbreviations (aet): After extra time pens: Penalties No.: Number og: Own goal ag: Match decided on away goals P: Penalty agg: Aggregate Pld: Matches played AP: Appearances Pos.: Position Comp.: Competition Pts: Points D: Drawn R: Sent off (straight red card) DoB: Date of birth Res.: Result ET: Extra Time sg: Match decided by silver goal GA: Goals against t: Match decided by toss of a coin GF: Goals for W: Won gg: Match decided by golden goal Y: Booked L: Lost Y/R: Sent off (two yellow cards) Nat.: Nationality N/A: Not applicable Disclaimer: Although UEFA has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within this document is accurate at the time of publication, no representation or guarantee (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Therefore, UEFA assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein. More information can be found in the competition regulations available on UEFA.com.

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