SOFIA, Sept 8: Bulgarian Coach Hristo Bonev resigned Monday amid harsh criticism following the national squad's poor performance at the World Cup and Sunday's humiliating loss in the first Euroqualifier, reports AP.

Bonev announced his resignation in a statement faxed to the Bulgarian Soccer Union.

"I feel very tired. The tense atmosphere hinders normal work. Too many things have to be changed in Bulgarian soccer. This time my decision is final and nothing can make me change It," Bonev said.

Bonev. 51, took over the national team from Dimitar Penev in August 1996, immediately after Bulgaria's fiasco at Euro 96 in England.

He faced some tough times with the squad after several players boycotted the national team, including Hristo Sto-ichkov. Lyuboslav Penev and Yordan Lechkov.

Bulgaria had to play almost half their qualifying games for the finals in France without those decisive players.

Eventually, Bonev, a former national forward with a Bulgarian record of 48 goals in international matches to his credit, managed to get his way.

Under his guidance. Bulgaria managed to qualify for the World Cup in France, but was smashed 6-1 by Spain and failed to get past the first round.

After that fiasco Bonev first said he was quitting, but later decided to stay at least for the first three qualifying matches for Euro 2000 despite criticism from the media and leading players.

But Sunday night's 3-0 loss against Poland exhausted fans' patience. Some 13,000 attending the game at the stadium in the Black Sea town of Burgas demanded he resign immedi-

Among possible successors being mentioned in Bulgarian media are Dimitar Penev. now coach of CSKA Sofia, and Dimitar Dimitrov. Bonev's assistant and coach of last season's champion Liteks Lovech.