EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS - 2014/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski - Sofia Friday 10 October 2014 Bulgaria 20.45CET (21.45 local time) Croatia Group H - Matchday -11 Last updated 18/02/2016 20:32CET EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS OFFICIAL SPONSORS Head coach 2 Legend 3 1 Bulgaria - Croatia Friday 10 October 2014 - 20.45CET (21.45 local time) Match press kit Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski, Sofia Head coach Bulgaria: Luboslav Penev Date of birth: 31 August 1966 Nationality: Bulgarian Playing career: PFC CSKA Sofia (twice), Valencia CF, Club Atlético de Madrid, SD Compostela, RC Celta de Vigo, PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 Coaching career: PFC CSKA Sofia, PFC Litex Lovech, Bulgaria • One of Bulgaria's greatest goalscorers, Penev began his career at CSKA in 1985, making his debut under his uncle Dimitar Penev. Formed a fearsome attacking trident with Hristo Stoichkov and Emil Kostadinov, and in his first spell with the Reds won two league titles, three domestic cups and was named Bulgarian player of the year in 1988. • Moved to Valencia in autumn 1989 and in six years there registered 101 goals in 226 appearances. In summer 1995 he joined Atlético, lifting the double in his only season. Hung up his boots in 1999 and was elected president of CSKA, a position he held until early 2001 when he resumed playing for the capital team before moving on to Lokomotiv Plovdiv. He retired for good in 2002. • Missed Bulgaria's finest hour, their fourth-place finish at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, as he was recovering from testicular cancer. In total, scored 13 times in 62 internationals, appearing at EURO '96 and the 1998 World Cup. • Started coaching with CSKA in March 2009, succeeding his uncle and guiding the Army Men into the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League group stage. Left CSKA in January 2010 and that September took over at Litex, steering them to the championship in 2011. Stood down that October to lead the national side and in November 2013 extended his contract until the end of UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying. • Penev coached Bulgaria in tandem with PFC Botev Plovdiv after being hired as the Canaries' coach in June 2014, but relinquished the club role after just a month to focus on international duties. Croatia: Niko Kovač Date of birth: 15 October 1971 Nationality: Croatian Playing career: FC Hertha 03 Berlin-Zehlendorf, Hertha BSC Berlin, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, FC Bayern München, FC Salzburg Coaching career: Croatia Under-21, Croatia • Born in Berlin to parents hailing from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kovač began his career at local side Hertha Zehlendorf before earning a move to second-tier Hertha Berlin in 1991. A defensive midfielder, he then joined Leverkusen, playing alongside younger brother Robert for the first time. • Signed for Hamburg in 1999 but was reunited with Robert when the pair were snapped up by Bayern two years later. Won a league and cup double in 2002/03 yet struggled to tie down a starting spot and returned to Hertha in 2003, subsequently ending his playing days with Salzburg. • Collected his first Croatia cap in 1996 and featured in 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying, only for injury to rule him out of the finals. He was ever-present, though, at the 2002 World Cup and UEFA EURO 2004. He was also a fixture at the 2006 global showpiece and impressed at UEFA EURO 2008, finishing up – in 2009 – with 83 caps and 14 international goals under his belt. • Quickly turned to coaching, first overseeing Salzburg's youth side and then working as a first-team assistant. Left Salzburg in 2012 and took charge, along with brother Robert, of Croatia's U21 squad in January 2013. • Named caretaker coach of Croatia's senior team on 16 October 2013 following Igor Štimac's resignation, he penned a two-year deal the next day and oversaw a 2-0 aggregate victory over Iceland in the 2014 World Cup play-offs, Croatia bowing out in the group stage in Brazil. 2 Bulgaria - Croatia Friday 10 October 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. 3.