Hristo Bonev

Who is Hristo Bonev?

Hristo Atanasov Bonev-Zuma is a former Bulgarian footballer, the second all-time leading scorer for the Bulgarian national team behind Dimitar Berbatov, who surpassed his record on 18 November 2009. Currently he manages PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG.

Between 1967 and 1979, Bonev played for the Bulgarian national team 96 times, scoring a record 48 goals. He played for his country at the 1970 and 1974 World Cups. Most of Bonev's club career was spent with Lokomotiv Plovdiv, but he also played for CSKA Sofia and AEK Athens FC and later briefly came out of retirement to play for Oxford United in 1982, before an injury to his thigh muscle ended his playing career.

After his retirement he became a manager and he went to Greece and became coach of Panathinaikos FC, AEL 1964, Ionikos FC. After Greece, he became manager of the Cypriot team APOEL FC in 1995 and until 1996 when he quit from his team, he won the Cup in his first year in Cyprus in 1995 and the Double the following season.

He went back to his country to become manager of Lokomotiv Sofia and then he coached his country's national team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Despite a poor showing in France with only one point from three games he continued as national coach, but after a 3–0 defeat to Poland in the first qualifying match for Euro 2000 in September 1998, he resigned from his post.