Hristo Stoichkov (File Photo)

    SOFIA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's legendary soccer star and coach Hristo Stoichkov has resigned together with the whole coaching staff of the Bulgarian national team, the team's general manager Dimiter Dimitrov told BTA news agency on Tuesday.

    Stoichkov asked to be relieved of his duties in a telephone conversation with president of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) Borislav Mihailov, revealed BTA, citing an announcement posted on the BFU internet site.

    Stoichkov was reportedly driven to the decision by the builtup of negative attitude to the national team and the adverse climate "for the team in this decisive phase of the European qualifiers", said the announcement.

    The resignation comes a couple of weeks after a goalless draw in a dull European qualifier with Albania, which made Bulgaria slip from the second place in Group G and diminished Bulgaria's chances to go to the European Finals in 2008.

    BFU's vice-president Yordan Lechkov admitted that Stoichkov's team has done poorly since the start of the European qualifiers but believed that Stoichkov "acted with dignity and his resignation was not an act of hand-washing".

    Meantime, a Spanish media reported that Stoichkov was already on his way to sign a coaching contract with Spanish Vigo Celta, while the contract will expire until the summer of 2008.

    By now, Stoichkov has not made any statement. BFU has scheduled a news conference for next week. Stoichkov's replacement will be chosen at the upcoming meeting of the BFU leadership on Apr.25.

    Stoichkov was born on Feb. 8, 1966 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. His obvious talent in soccer makes him world-famous in 1994 when he scored six goals for Bulgaria in the World Cup in the United States and led his team to the historical fourth place there.

    In 2004 Stoichkov was chosen as the coach of Bulgarian Nationalteam. However, the star footballer seems not so good as a coach. His bad temper has displeased dozens of officials and colleagues.