Dimitar Penev is back in charge, 11 years after his last spell as national team coach. The experienced specialist has been appointed to the post until the end of the Euro 2008 campaign. His first game will be a friendly against Wales in Bourgas on August 22, then comes a crucial qualifier away to Netherlands on September 8. Bulgaria is in second place in Group G, two points behind leaders Romania and one clear of the Dutch but Marco van Basten’s men have a game in hand.

It took the Bulgarian Football Union 100 days to find a replacement following Hristo Stoitchkov’s sudden resignation. In the end, BFU president Borislav Mihailov settled on 62-year-old Penev.

The choice means that the BFU did nothing in three and a half months given that Penev has been at hand working as national team manager since April 26 2007. If Mihailov had wanted Penev, he could have appointed him immediately after Stoichkov left, or after interim coach Stanimir Stoilov’s 10 days in charge were up.

Penev is the easiest and most fitting choice, especially since the team stars wanted him too. He has made no demands about money, the term of his contract and his own staff. And his reputation is strong as well. Penev was the creator of the Bulgarian triumphal World Cup 1994 campaign which ended with a fourth place after a semi-final loss to Italy. He later qualified the team for Euro 1996 – Bulgaria’s first appearance at the European championship finals, but the high expectations proved costly. The team won four points from three matches and missed the second phase, and the coach was immediately fired. Penev was in charge for a single match in 1989, and his great spell began in August 1991.