Starting from last week, I can say with ease, everybody interested in football in Bulgaria is in great euphoria. Apart from all the tickets being sold in no time people seem to be pretty excited about the game. You can often see shops selling the BUlgarian flag and other accessories in relation with our NT. Most of the people say we must definitely at least reach a draw. Other more skeptical state they are gonna bet against our team. We haven't defeated the Swedes for years and realistically speaking it doesn't look like we will this time. With major players missing-Stilian Petrov and Martin Petrov both suspended, Bojinov injured, the chosen squad would look like that:
Goalkeepers:
Zdravko Zdravkov – Chaykur Rizespor (Rize, TUR)
Dimitar Ivankov – Levski (Sofia)
Defenders:
Ivaylo Petkov – Kuban (Krasnodar, RUS)
Radostin Kishishev – Charlton Athletic (London, ENG)
Iliyan Stoyanov – JEF United (Chiba, JAP)
Georgi Markov – Levski (Sofia)
Asen Karaslavov – Slavia (Sofia)
Rosen Kirilov – Litex (Lovech)
Elin Topuzakov – Levski (Sofia)
Daniel Borimirov – Levski (Sofia)
Midfielders:
Stilyan Petrov – Celtic (Glasgow, SCO)
Aleksandar Aleksandrov – Istanbulspor (Istanbul, TUR)
Emil Gargorov – CSKA (Sofia)
Chavdar Yankov – Slavia (Sofia)
Blagoy Georgiev – Slavia (Sofia)
Asen Bukarev – Levski (Sofia)
Hristo Yanev – CSKA (Sofia)
Martin Kamburov – Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Forwards:
Zdravko Lazarov – Gaziantepspor (Gaziantep, TUR)
Martin Petrov – Wolfsburg (Wolfsburg, GER)
Vladimir Manchev – Levante (Levante, SPA)
Dimitar Berbatov – Bayer (Leverkusen, GER)
Georgi Ivanov – Samsunspor (Samsun, TUR)
Reserves:
Stoyan Kolev – Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) – goalkeeper
Dimitar Telkiyski – Levski (Sofia) – midfielder
Stoyko Sakaliev – Naftex (Burgas) - forward
The 20-player Swedish team:
Goalkeepers - Isaksson (Rennes), Hedman (Celtic); defenders: Edman (Tottenham), Hanson (Heerenveen), Lundkvist (Sundsvall), Lucic (Haken), Melberg (Aston Vila), Nilson (Southamptom), Ostlund (Feyenoord); Halves: Nilson and Svenson (Sauthampton), Alexanderson (Goteborg), Anderson (Malmo), Kallstrom (Rennes), Linderoth (Kopenhagen), Ljunberg (Arsenal), Wilhelmsson (Anderlecht); Strikers: Allback (Hansa), Ibrahimovic (Juventus), Jonson (Norwich), Rosenberg (Malmo).
I don't know how Stoichkov will succeed in filling in the gaps. Especially difficult will be Blagoy Georgiev's task who is supposed to take the place of Martin Petrov :broken:
:star:
Goalkeepers:
Zdravko Zdravkov – Chaykur Rizespor (Rize, TUR)
Dimitar Ivankov – Levski (Sofia)
Defenders:
Ivaylo Petkov – Kuban (Krasnodar, RUS)
Radostin Kishishev – Charlton Athletic (London, ENG)
Iliyan Stoyanov – JEF United (Chiba, JAP)
Georgi Markov – Levski (Sofia)
Asen Karaslavov – Slavia (Sofia)
Rosen Kirilov – Litex (Lovech)
Elin Topuzakov – Levski (Sofia)
Daniel Borimirov – Levski (Sofia)
Midfielders:
Stilyan Petrov – Celtic (Glasgow, SCO)
Aleksandar Aleksandrov – Istanbulspor (Istanbul, TUR)
Emil Gargorov – CSKA (Sofia)
Chavdar Yankov – Slavia (Sofia)
Blagoy Georgiev – Slavia (Sofia)
Asen Bukarev – Levski (Sofia)
Hristo Yanev – CSKA (Sofia)
Martin Kamburov – Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Forwards:
Zdravko Lazarov – Gaziantepspor (Gaziantep, TUR)
Martin Petrov – Wolfsburg (Wolfsburg, GER)
Vladimir Manchev – Levante (Levante, SPA)
Dimitar Berbatov – Bayer (Leverkusen, GER)
Georgi Ivanov – Samsunspor (Samsun, TUR)
Reserves:
Stoyan Kolev – Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) – goalkeeper
Dimitar Telkiyski – Levski (Sofia) – midfielder
Stoyko Sakaliev – Naftex (Burgas) - forward
The 20-player Swedish team:
Goalkeepers - Isaksson (Rennes), Hedman (Celtic); defenders: Edman (Tottenham), Hanson (Heerenveen), Lundkvist (Sundsvall), Lucic (Haken), Melberg (Aston Vila), Nilson (Southamptom), Ostlund (Feyenoord); Halves: Nilson and Svenson (Sauthampton), Alexanderson (Goteborg), Anderson (Malmo), Kallstrom (Rennes), Linderoth (Kopenhagen), Ljunberg (Arsenal), Wilhelmsson (Anderlecht); Strikers: Allback (Hansa), Ibrahimovic (Juventus), Jonson (Norwich), Rosenberg (Malmo).
I don't know how Stoichkov will succeed in filling in the gaps. Especially difficult will be Blagoy Georgiev's task who is supposed to take the place of Martin Petrov :broken:
:star: