Former coach of the Bulgarian national volleyball team Camillo Placi turns 70 today, November 11. The Italian specialist celebrates his anniversary as African champion with Tunisia and with already secured participation in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
Born on November 11, 1956, in Specchia, Lecce province, Placi is among the most experienced Italian coaches who have worked at an international level. His career spans leading clubs and national teams, and Bulgaria holds a particularly important place in it.
His first Olympic medal came in 2008 in Beijing, when, as an assistant to Vladimir Alekno in the Russian national team, he won the bronze medal. A year later, Placi was already part of Silvano Prandi's staff, who led Bulgaria to bronze medals at the European Championship in Turkey in 2009.

The Italian remained connected with the Bulgarian national team in the following years. He was part of the coaching staff during the historic fourth place at the Olympic Games in London in 2012, and after the tournament, he took over as head coach.
Under his leadership, Bulgaria reached fourth place in the World League finals in 2013, as well as the semifinals of the European Championship in Denmark and Poland, where the national team again finished fourth.
Placi continued his career in club volleyball, moving through Turkey and Russia, before returning to Bulgaria in 2021, this time at the helm of Hebar (Pazardzhik).

With the Pazardzhik club, the Italian specialist won the championship title in the 2021/2022 season, as well as the Bulgarian Cup and Supercup.
From the Philippines to Los Angeles
In 2025, Placi took over the Tunisian national team and achieved significant international success in his very first season.
At the World Championship in the Philippines, the African team won its group after victories over the hosts and Egypt, finishing ahead of Iran. In the round of 16, Tunisia lost to the Czech Republic with 0:3 (19:25, 18:25, 23:25).
The VolleyWeek team was in the Philippines and directly followed Tunisia's performance and the work of the Italian specialist. Over the years, we had the opportunity to observe numerous matches of the Bulgarian national team on site during the periods when Placi was part of the coaching staff and subsequently head coach.

Just one year after the World Championship in the Philippines, he achieved an even more significant success.
On September 25, 2026, Tunisia won the African title, defeating Cameroon 3:0 (25:22, 25:18, 25:19) in the final in front of their home crowd.
This was the 12th continental title for the Tunisians, but the stakes were much higher – their victory secured a direct quota for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
Thus, Placi got the opportunity to participate in his third Olympics after Beijing 2008 with Russia and London 2012 with Bulgaria. This time, however, he will be in the role of head coach.
Recognition in Italy just days before the anniversary
Just four days before his 70th birthday, on November 7, Camillo Placi was honored with the "Panathleta Eccellente 2026" award at a ceremony in Lecce.
The award, which VolleyWeek has already reported, is a recognition of his long coaching career, Olympic successes, and his contribution to sports values.
At 70 years old, the Italian continues to work at the highest international level, and the upcoming Olympics in Los Angeles is the next big goal in his career.
For Bulgarian volleyball, Camillo Placi remains part of a generation of coaches associated with some of the national team's strongest results in the last two decades.

Happy 70th birthday, Camillo Placi!