After the historic silver medal at the World Championship in the Philippines, the Bulgarian national volleyball team is no longer perceived as a surprise on the international stage, but as a real contender in the battle with the strongest teams in Europe, writes the Polish publication "Przegląd Sportowy". Head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini admits that the euphoria after Bulgaria's first world distinction in 19 years has surpassed everything he has experienced in his career.
The Italian specialist, who took over the national team in 2024, compares what happened in Bulgaria to Napoli's first football championship title nearly four decades ago.
"This was a victory for an entire nation. No one expected Bulgaria to reach the medals at the World Championship. We managed to make everyone happy – from children to the elderly," Blengini shares.
He emphasizes that even his successes with the Italian national team, three Serie A titles, and the Olympic silver from Rio de Janeiro cannot compare to the emotion he felt after the Bulgarian triumph.
According to Blengini, the most difficult task after the great success is managing expectations. The Italian is adamant that the young Bulgarian squad must remain true to its way of working, instead of changing its philosophy under the pressure of its new status.
He pays special attention to the stars of the new generation – Aleksandar Nikolov and Simeon Nikolov.
Regarding Alex Nikolov, the coach says that besides impressive physicality, he possesses a rare intellect for the game.
"He understands volleyball in a way rarely seen in such a young player. He impresses me with how he analyzes technical details and reads the game," Blengini explains.
Even more interesting is his comment about setter Simeon Nikolov. Despite his height of 207 centimeters and constant discussions about whether he would be more suitable as an opposite hitter, Blengini is convinced that his future is precisely as a setter.
"I told him at the very beginning that the choice of whether he wants to become a great setter or opposite hitter depends only on him. He chose the setter position," the coach reveals.
According to Blengini, Moni Nikolov's true talent is not only in his physical attributes but also in his ability to find unconventional solutions in game situations.
The Italian also highlights the impressive statistics of the young Bulgarian in the Russian championship, where last season he scored 240 points – an extremely rare achievement for a player in the setter position.
Blengini also praised the Polish national team, which will be among Bulgaria's main rivals in the upcoming European Championship in Sofia.
"Poland has a huge number of top-level players. They all play in strong leagues, which is key to their development. They also have a great coach in Nikola Grbić. And I'm not saying that because he's a good friend of mine," states the Bulgarian head coach.
According to him, the European Championship is an even tougher challenge than the World Championship due to the immense competition on the Old Continent.
He admits that Bulgaria's main long-term goal remains qualifying for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. When he took over the team, Bulgaria was only 23rd in the world ranking, and now it is in ninth place.
According to Blengini, modern volleyball is becoming faster and more physical, but this also brings negatives.
"The faster the game becomes, the harder it is to control the ball. The risk in serves is enormous, and sometimes even matches between strong teams lose quality due to many errors," believes the Italian specialist.