What player inspired you to watch and love football?

[Vortep]

I guess everyone of you has that one or two players who made you fall in love with football. My question is, who is it for you, and who they made you love the great game?

For me, there is two players. The first in the amazing Hristo Stoichkov. As a Bulgarian, when I grew up. Stoichkov was at the top of the world and naturally every boy in my country idolized him and wanted to be him. He was pure talent and larger than life persona.

The second one is the Phenomenon Ronaldo. When I watched him at France 98 I really learned what was to be true wizard with the ball. What was beautiful football. But I started to idolize him when he return to football in Korea and Japan 2002. 8 goals from 7 games after being gone with career ending injury for nearly 2 years!. He was the perfect striker and for me he was THE best ever.

Those two are the reason to love football today.

you?

Here is two stickers to go with the thread

 

[Suisse]

Michel Platini

 

[Canal Cromo]

João Pinto

 

[claudio7788]

Maradona during his years with Napoli and Del Piero (..and of course Tsubasa Ozora;-)

 

[dantzig]

Funny it was a bulgarian who started this thread... because I think the player who made me love football was Balakov



Figo was definitely the second one playing alongside Balakov, but if we speak about international football, I would say half of WC94 Brazil team was an inspiration... Taffarel, Bebeto, Romario, Cafu, Mauro Silva... yeah, good times.

 

[SubZero]

Oleg Blochin

 

[CSKA Sofia Forever]

Football is a team sport, although it is the stars that bring the flavor. To me, it was a team that made me love football - the 1988-89 team of CSKA Sofia, named at that point in time CFKA Sredets. Attacking football (130 goals in 47 games during the season), amazing players (goalkeeper Valov, Georgi Dimitrov and Trifon Ivanov in defense, Getov and Georgi Georgiev in midfield, and of course the attacking trio Stoichkov-Penev-Kostadinov), outstanding coach (Dimitar Penev) and lots of records (won all 5 domestic cups, reached the semi-finals of the ECWC + Stoichkov and Penev finished first and second in the topscorers list). Back in those days CSKA was a top 20 club in Europe. Something that I will hardly ever see again.



Of course, given his entire career, Stoichkov was the main idol and the major source of inspiration for all the kids in the country.

 

[AGreen19]

Somehow I feel that I've liked football in general for as long as I can remember, but I have very fond memories of getting very excited when watching Ronaldo and Zidane