SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) – Dimitar Penev, the coach who led Bulgaria to the semifinals of the 1994 U.S. World Cup, has died. He was 80 years old.
The Bulgarian Football Association announced Penev’s death on Saturday, saying he passed away after a long illness.
Voted the best Bulgarian coach of the 20th century, Penev is one of the most prominent figures in Bulgarian football history.
For Bulgaria, their fourth place finish at the 1994 World Cup remains their greatest success. The team’s good progress came to a halt with a 2-1 loss to Italy in the semifinals. They then lost to Sweden in the third place match.
Penev was considered one of his country’s best defenders and played 364 league games for CSKA Sofia, scoring 25 goals. He won a total of 13 domestic trophies and was twice named Bulgaria’s Player of the Year.
He played 90 games for the national team and represented Bulgaria in three World Cups (1966, 1970 and 1974).
After retiring as a player in 1977, he coached CSKA Sofia, Al Yarmouk in Kuwait, and Al Nasr in Saudi Arabia.
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