Tweet
Interview with Ilian Kiryakov in the P&J
So, who were the 'Austrian Six'? I have no recollection of that at all
Ilian Kiryakov: Ultimate Aberdeen cult hero gives rare interview on time at Dons
Ilian Kiryakov was an Aberdeen player from 1996 to 2000 - and the fan favourite has spoken about his time at Pittodrie.
Bulgarian cult hero Ilian Kiryakov has given a rare insight about his time with Aberdeen FC in the late-1990s during an interview in his homeland.
The full-back/midfielder was part of the Bulgaria squad who reached the 1994 World Cup semi-finals, and also went to the Euros with his country months before signing for Roy Aitken?s Dons in 1996.
Arriving from Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta (and joined by another Bulgarian international Tsanko Tsvatenov in the north-east), the 5ft 5in, red-headed Kiryakov had a turbulent four years at Pittodrie.
Eventually released by Ebbe Skovdahl at the end of the 1999/2000 campaign ? he kicked off his Reds career as part of the ?Austrian Six? nightclubbing cohort during his first pre-season at the club.
While the Dons, under Aitken, Alex Miller, Paul Hegarty and Skovdahl, struggled along in the top-flight, Kiryakov missed seven months of action with hepatitis from his first into his second season, while there were other disruptions to his time on the pitch from spitting at an opponent, a car crash in Bulgaria, and friction with his bosses which saw the player transfer-listed by at least TWO of his gaffers.
Ilian Kiryakov in action for Aberdeen against Hearts in 1997. Image: DC Thomson.
Ilian Kiryakov in action for Aberdeen against Hearts in 1997. Image: DC Thomson.
Regardless of these troubles, the chain-smoking Kiryakov has remained a favourite of Aberdeen fans ? his cause aided by a penchant for the Granite City nightlife while he was with the Reds.
Nowadays, Kiryakov is back in Bulgaria serving as assistant coach at his first club Etar Veliko Tarnovo, with whom he has a long association as a player and manager.
In the new video chat with Centralata Sport, in his native language, Kiryakov discusses what was ?a very nice period? in his career with Aberdeen.
Kiryakov claims Aberdeen paid ?650,000 to sign him from Cyprus (more than the ?400k reported at the time), and the Dons wanted him due to a man-marking job he had done on rivals Rangers? Paul Gascoigne in the Champions League for Anorthosis.
He said: ?Cyprus was really nice ? I had a great year there.
?Aberdeen paid ?650,000 to get me from Cyprus ? when Cyprus hadn?t paid a single penny for me prior.
?It was in 1996 after the European Championship they took me on, and they paid more than half-a-million pounds. There was no other footballer with such a transfer pricetag at the time.
Ilian Kiryakov blocks the path of Rangers midfielder Paul Gascoigne in the Champions League. Image: SNS.
Ilian Kiryakov blocks the path of Rangers midfielder Paul Gascoigne in the Champions League. Image: SNS.
?They had also seen me play against Rangers in the Champions League, where I personally defended Paul Gascoigne.
?I hadn?t even given him a chance to play with the ball that game.
?He had previously scored three goals against the Dons and they were wondering who could protect them from him, so that?s how they got me.?
With his tendency to operate inside the park, Kiryakov says direct Scottish football gave him a sore neck ?from looking up to follow the ball? in the air ?all the time?, however, he enjoyed the ?passion ? of fans.
He said: ?(I was looking up) constantly? From the very first game we had.
?I sat next to John Inglis after that one, and just said to him: ?John, my neck hurts from looking up to follow the ball all the time.
?It was a bit different from us (Bulgarian football).
?But people enjoyed watching for the passion we put in the game. The fact that we always went all in ? that?s what matters to Scottish fans.?
So, who were the 'Austrian Six'? I have no recollection of that at all
Ilian Kiryakov: Ultimate Aberdeen cult hero gives rare interview on time at Dons
Ilian Kiryakov was an Aberdeen player from 1996 to 2000 - and the fan favourite has spoken about his time at Pittodrie.
Bulgarian cult hero Ilian Kiryakov has given a rare insight about his time with Aberdeen FC in the late-1990s during an interview in his homeland.
The full-back/midfielder was part of the Bulgaria squad who reached the 1994 World Cup semi-finals, and also went to the Euros with his country months before signing for Roy Aitken?s Dons in 1996.
Arriving from Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta (and joined by another Bulgarian international Tsanko Tsvatenov in the north-east), the 5ft 5in, red-headed Kiryakov had a turbulent four years at Pittodrie.
Eventually released by Ebbe Skovdahl at the end of the 1999/2000 campaign ? he kicked off his Reds career as part of the ?Austrian Six? nightclubbing cohort during his first pre-season at the club.
While the Dons, under Aitken, Alex Miller, Paul Hegarty and Skovdahl, struggled along in the top-flight, Kiryakov missed seven months of action with hepatitis from his first into his second season, while there were other disruptions to his time on the pitch from spitting at an opponent, a car crash in Bulgaria, and friction with his bosses which saw the player transfer-listed by at least TWO of his gaffers.
Ilian Kiryakov in action for Aberdeen against Hearts in 1997. Image: DC Thomson.
Ilian Kiryakov in action for Aberdeen against Hearts in 1997. Image: DC Thomson.
Regardless of these troubles, the chain-smoking Kiryakov has remained a favourite of Aberdeen fans ? his cause aided by a penchant for the Granite City nightlife while he was with the Reds.
Nowadays, Kiryakov is back in Bulgaria serving as assistant coach at his first club Etar Veliko Tarnovo, with whom he has a long association as a player and manager.
In the new video chat with Centralata Sport, in his native language, Kiryakov discusses what was ?a very nice period? in his career with Aberdeen.
Kiryakov claims Aberdeen paid ?650,000 to sign him from Cyprus (more than the ?400k reported at the time), and the Dons wanted him due to a man-marking job he had done on rivals Rangers? Paul Gascoigne in the Champions League for Anorthosis.
He said: ?Cyprus was really nice ? I had a great year there.
?Aberdeen paid ?650,000 to get me from Cyprus ? when Cyprus hadn?t paid a single penny for me prior.
?It was in 1996 after the European Championship they took me on, and they paid more than half-a-million pounds. There was no other footballer with such a transfer pricetag at the time.
Ilian Kiryakov blocks the path of Rangers midfielder Paul Gascoigne in the Champions League. Image: SNS.
Ilian Kiryakov blocks the path of Rangers midfielder Paul Gascoigne in the Champions League. Image: SNS.
?They had also seen me play against Rangers in the Champions League, where I personally defended Paul Gascoigne.
?I hadn?t even given him a chance to play with the ball that game.
?He had previously scored three goals against the Dons and they were wondering who could protect them from him, so that?s how they got me.?
With his tendency to operate inside the park, Kiryakov says direct Scottish football gave him a sore neck ?from looking up to follow the ball? in the air ?all the time?, however, he enjoyed the ?passion ? of fans.
He said: ?(I was looking up) constantly? From the very first game we had.
?I sat next to John Inglis after that one, and just said to him: ?John, my neck hurts from looking up to follow the ball all the time.
?It was a bit different from us (Bulgarian football).
?But people enjoyed watching for the passion we put in the game. The fact that we always went all in ? that?s what matters to Scottish fans.?
Comment