Petrov power fires Wolfsburg

By Pawel Dimow & Stoyan Georgiev

VfL Wolfsburg have been the surprise achievers in German football this season, and in recent weeks, Bulgarian international Martin Petrov has been taking much of the credit.

Four goals
Back on 30 October, the 25-year-old became only the second Bulgarian player to score four goals in a league game outside his homeland as the Bundesliga side won 4-3 at home against 1. FSV Mainz 05. The only previous player to do so was Petrov's idol, and current Bulgarian national team coach, Hristo Stoitchkov.

Season tally
Following a 4-0 defeat at 1. FC Nürnberg, Wolfsburg reaffirmed their position at the top of the table last weekend with a 3-0 win at home against VfB Stuttgart. Petrov was on target twice this time to take his tally for the season to seven goals from eleven games.

Staying top
With nine wins, four defeats and no draws, Wolfsburg lead FC Bayern München by one point at the top of the table. Now Petrov is keen for his side to cling on to top spot for as long as possible. "We want only one thing - to stay at the top as long as possible," he said. "We are just taking it one game at a time."

Footballing family
The son of another footballer, Petar Petrov, Petrov Jr began his career at his local club, FC Botev Vratza. "Football is in my blood," he said. "My father was a player and there was no chance to be indifferent about football. However, my father never forced me to become a professional footballer."

Local mentors
Indeed it was his coaches at Botev - local legend Petar Kamenov and Valeri Tzvetanov - who pushed Petrov, giving him his debut as a 16-year-old. He was an instant hit at the third division club and he was quickly spotted by the scouts at PFC CSKA Sofia who brought him to the Bulgarian capital in 1997.

CSKA successes
His temperament, speed and skill saw him win the admiration of CSKA fans - he was even spoken of in hushed tones as the new Stoitchkov. He performed well in the A PFG, while good displays in European competitions saw him earn a move to Switzerland to join Servette FC in 1999.

Swiss sojourn
Petrov was in great form as his side won the league title in 1998/99 and the Swiss Cup in 2001. After scoring 22 goals in 75 games for the club, he left as their most expensive sale in the summer of 2001 as Wolfsburg paid €4.3m to bring him to Germany.

New Bulgaria
His time in Germany has coincided with the emergence of a new generation of Bulgarian players. Petrov's former CSKA team-mates Stilian Petrov and Dimitar Berbatov have joined him in thriving abroad, and are set to play a leading role in campaigning to reach the 2006 World Cup under new coach Stoitchkov.

Strange omen
Certainly, Petrov has a way to go if he is to truly match his coach's achievements - Stoitchkov's Bulgaria famously reached the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup and he was also a major player at FC Barcelona. However, one strange statistic may be seen as a good omen for Petrov.

Stoitchkov's mantle
His first game for Bulgaria was replacing Stoitchkov in his last, a UEFA EURO 2000™ qualifier against England in June 1999. For some, that was a sign that the mantle was being passed on to the young substitute. If he maintains his form at Wolfsburg, it may just be that Petrov is finally ready to take on Stoitchkov's legacy.