May 2, 1985

Bulgaria 2-France 0

World Cup Qualifying-Group 4

Venue: Sofiya- Vassil Levski Stadion

Attendance: 70,000

Referee: Brian McGinlay (Scotland)

Goalscorers: (Bulgaria): Georgi Dimitrov 11, Nasko Sirakov 61

(France): None

Lineups:

Bulgaria:

1-Borislav Mikhailov (Druzestvo za Fizkultura i Sport Levski-Spartak - Sofia) [20 / 0]

2-Plamen Nikolov (Druzestvo za Fizkultura i Sport Levski-Spartak - Sofia) [38 / 1]

5-Georgi Dimitrov (CSKA(Centralnij Sport Klub Armija) Septemvri zname-Sofia) [53 / 6]

3-Nikolai Arabov (Druzestvo za Fizkultura i Sport Sliven) [29 / 0]

4-Petar Petrov (CSKA(Centralnij Sport Klub Armija) Septemvri zname-Sofia) [24 / 0]

8-Nasko Sirakov (Druzestvo za Fizkultura i Sport Levski-Spartak - Sofia) [13 / 3]

6-Radoslav Zdravkov (CSKA(Centralnij Sport Klub Armija) Septemvri zname-Sofia) [57 / 10]

10-Anyo Sadkov (Druzestvo za Fizkultura i Sport Lokomotiv-Plovdiv) [35 / 3]

9-Boicho Velichkov (Druzestvo za Fizkultura i Sport Lokomotiv-Sofia) [21 / 3] (14-Andreï Jeliazkov (Druzestvo za Fizkultura i Sport Slavia Sofia) [46 / 14] 56)

7-Plamen Getov (Druzestvo za Fizkultura i Sport Spartak -Pleven) [7 / 1] (15-Atanes Pashev (Armeysko Fizkulturno Druzhestvo Trakia Ploviv) [7 / 1] 75)

11-Stoicho Mladenov (CSKA(Centralnij Sport Klub Armija) Septemvri zname-Sofia) [50 / 15]

Coach: Ivan Vutzov

Booked: Zdravkov 71-Jeliazkov 75

Team Captain: Georgi Dimitrov

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas

Uniform Colors: White Shirts, Green Shorts, White Socks

Photo from: Onze, Hors Serie 26, 1985

France:

1-Joel Bats (Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise) [17 / 0]

2-William Ayache (Football Club de Nantes) [3 / 0]

4-Leonard Specht (Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club) [18 / 1]

5-Maxime Bossis (Football Club de Nantes) [64 / 1]

3-Manuel Amoros (Association Sportive de Monaco) [27 / 0]

7-Jose Toure (Football Club de Nantes) [6 / 1]

14-Jean Tigana (Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club) [37 / 0]

6-Luis Fernandez (Paris Saint-Germain Football Club) [22 / 2] (8-Thierry Tusseau (Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club) [16 / 0] 69)

10-Michel Platini (Juventus Football Club-Torino / Italy) [58 / 37]

9-Yannick Stopyra (Toulouse Football Club) [14 / 6]

11-Bruno Bellone (Association Sportive de Monaco) [21 / 2]

Coach: Henri Michel

Booked: Fernandez 13,Specht 41-Platini 85

Other Subs:

Albert Rust (Football Club de Sochaux-Montbéliard)

Jean-Francois Domergue (Toulouse Football Club)

Gérard Buscher (Brest Armorique Football Club)

Daniel Bravo (Association Sportive de Monaco)

Team Captain: Michel Platini

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas

Uniform Colors: Blue Shirts, White Shorts , Red Socks

Photo From: France Football, Issue 2044, June 11, 1985

(France lineup, Standing from left to right: Specht, Bossis, Ayache, Bats, Amoros, Fernandez, Seating left to right: Stopyra, Toure, Platini, Bellone, Tigana)

Notes:

-Match number 372 for Bulgaria and number 444 for France.

-This was the 17th meeting between the nations.

-This was the seventh time that the two nations met at Sofia.

-This was a World Cup Qualifier, The other teams in the group were Yugoslavia, East Germany and Luxembourg.

Both France and Bulgaria qualified from this group.

-Bulgaria qualified for the finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1974.

-The previous match between the nations, as well as France’s previous victory over Bulgaria, was the first leg of this Qualifier, played in Paris on November 21, 1984, that France won 1-0 from a penalty kick by Michel Platini.

Bulgaria players: Mikhailov, Nikolov, Dimitrov, Arabov, Sirakov, Sadkov, Zdravkov and Mladenov and France Players: Bats, Bossis, Amoros, Tigana, Fernandez, Stopyra, Tusseau, Toure, Platini and Bellone also took part in that match.

Mladenov and Nikolov were booked in that match.

French players Rust and Domergue were un-used substitutes in both matches.

Thierry Tusseau came on the field as a substitute in both matches.

Photo from: Onze, June 1985

(Bats making a placement error on the first corner that led to Dimitrov’s goal)

-The next match between the nations, as well as the next one in Sofia and the next Bulgaria victory would be a World Cup Qualifier on September 9, 1992 that Bulgaria won 2-0 again.

Bulgaria players: Mikhailov and Sirakov were the only players from either team that also took part in that match.

Sirakov was booked in that match.

-The previous match between the nations in Sofia had been a World Cup Qualifier on October 9, 1976 that ended in a 2-2 tie. A match controversially refereed by Scottish referee Ian Foote, where he ruled many decisions against France, prompting French match announcer Thierry Rolland to call him “Mr Foote, you are bastar….”

France players: Platini and Bossis were the only players from either team that also took part in that match.

Platini scored for France in that match.

Photo from: Onze, June 1985

(Nasko Sirakov heading Bulgaria’s second goal)

-France’s next win over Bulgaria would be a 3-1 win in Newcastle, England on June 18, 1996 during the UEFA European Championship Finals.

Bulgaria players: Mikhailov and Sirakov were the only players from either team that also took part in that match, though Sirakov remained on the bench.

The teams have not played agaisnt one another since.

-France has not defeated Bulgaria in Sofia since their very first meeting in 1932, when they won 5-3.

-Alain Giresse missed this match through injury, Henri Michel gambled on the more attacking player Jose Toure rather than the more defensive Thierry Tusseau as his replacement.

-Jean Tigana was authorized to play with a number 14 jersey.

Photo From: France Football, May 7, 1985, Issue 2039

(Arabov tackling Platini)

-Three weeks after this match on May 29, 1985, Michel Platini took part in the Heysel disaster, the ill-fated Champions Cup Final between Juventus and Liverpool that claimed 39 lives.

-Over a month after this match the infamous brawl between CSKA and Levski Spartak Sofia took place that led to many suspensions, as well name changes for the clubs. CSKA became Sredets and Levski became Vitoscha.

Mikhailov and Nikolov of Levski were suspended ‘for life’ though they were later reprived.

Sirakov was suspended for a year and he was also later reprieved.

Future European player of the year Hristo Stoichkov was also suspended.

-Both Bulgaria goals were scored off of corner kicks taken by Getov. Joel Bats was partly to blame for the first one.

-This was France’s first defeat in 15 matches.

Their last defeat was against Denmark in September 1983.

Their last defeat in a competetive match was during the third place match with Poland during the 1982 World Cup.

Photo From: France Football, May 7, 1985, Issue 2039

(Jose Toure of Nantes, selected in place of injured Giresse)

-This was Leonard Specht’s last cap for France. Specht had been out of national team reckoning for years but his impressive form for Bordeaux had earned him a recall.

-France’s Patrick Battiston was unavailable for this match.

-Joel Bats and Maxime Bossis earned their last caps as Auxerre and Nantes players respectively. The following season Bats would join Paris St. Germain and Bossis would join Racing Club Paris in the second division.

-Luis Fernandez has now played France’s last 22 matches consecutively.

-Thierry Tusseau won the French League title with Bordeaux. He has won the last three league titles with two different teams. 1983 with Nantes and 1984 and 1985 with Bordeaux.

-Michel Paltini was the only foreign based player on either team.

-Bulgaria Manager Ivan Vutzov resigned after the 1986 World Cup, he had a second spell as Bulgaria Manager from 1989-91

-Stoicho Mladenov managed Bulgaria from 2000-01.

- Borislav Mikhailov is the current president of Bulgaria’s Soccer Federation and is also on UEFA’s executive committee.

He played in the France for Mulhouse (1992/94).

Bulgaria captain Georgi Dimitrov played for French club AS Saint Etienne (1986/88).

Nasko Sirakov also played in France for RC Lens (1992/93)

-Mikhailov and Sirakov were part of the Bulgaria squad that finished fourth in the 1994 World Cup.

-Both captains (Platini and Dimitrov) were past and future AS Saint Etienne players

-Platini managed France national team from 1988-92.

-Bulgaria and France have been in World Cup Qualifying groups for the 1962, 1978, 1986 and 1994 World Cups.

-Yannick Stopyra had established himself as France’s main striker after the international retirement of Bernard Lacombe and Didier Six along with Dominique Rocheteau being out of national team reckoning.

Rocheteau would eventually return the following season due to his impressive form with Paris St. Germain.

-France had a poor record in away matches during the 19809s. Its only away wins in competitive qualifiers were vs. Cyprus in 1980 and Luxembourg 1984.

-Days prior to the match, Platini had received the “Legion D’Honneur” and Giresse and Tigana had received the “Croix de Merite national” by France President Francois Mitterand. Musee Grevin had unveiled a wax statue of Platini.