The Bulgarian men's national team departed for South America, where they will finalize their preparation before the start of the Nations League. Gianlorenzo Blengini's squad will first play a friendly match against Argentina in Rosario on June 6, and four days later will begin their participation in the tournament in Brazil with a match against Belgium. The 'tricolors'' group also includes teams from Iran, Argentina, and Serbia.
Among the greatest hopes of Bulgarian volleyball, Aleksandar and Simeon Nikolov demonstrated confidence that the team is ready for more serious goals compared to previous seasons and can take another step forward in its development.
Alex Nikolov: We have the qualities to fight for the finals, I'm tired of second places.
National team outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov emphasized that Bulgaria's main goal remains accumulating points for the world ranking in pursuit of an Olympic quota for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
According to him, a successful performance in the Nations League is crucial for fulfilling this long-term task. Nikolov is convinced that the team possesses the necessary qualities not only to maintain its place among the best but also to aim for participation in the final tournament.
He also pointed out that the national players are eagerly looking forward to the European Championship, which Bulgaria will host later in the year. For the young generation, this is an opportunity to fight for historical success in front of a home crowd. 'I'm tired of second places, 11 of them, I want gold,' declared the national team star.
Simeon Nikolov: The goals are much higher now.
Setter Simeon Nikolov also expressed optimism before the start of the official matches. The 2025 Youth World Vice-Champion believes that the Bulgarian squad has made significant progress over the past twelve months.
According to him, the team has grown technically, physically, and psychologically. That is why ambitions are no longer limited to individual victories or good performances against leading opponents.
Nikolov emphasized that there is serious internal competition within the squad, which raises the level of the training process and helps the team develop. The setter is adamant that the national players are departing with clear goals and confidence to oppose any opponent.
A new challenge for the two brothers in Italy.
Besides the national team, attention surrounding the two brothers is also focused on their upcoming joint club future. From the new season, Aleksandar and Simeon Nikolov will be teammates at the Italian powerhouse Cucine Lube Civitanova.
For Simeon, this will be a new step after his stint at Lokomotiv Novosibirsk under the guidance of Plamen Konstantinov. The setter admits that his stay in Russia played an important role in his development both as a volleyball player and as a person.
Both national team players do not hide their excitement about the opportunity to play side-by-side again at club level, with their ambitions in Italy focused on fighting for trophies already in their first joint season.
A look at the start.
Before the official start of the Nations League, Bulgaria will face Argentina in a friendly match on June 6 in Rosario. Afterwards, the 'Lions' will head to Brazil, where on June 10 at 19:00 Bulgarian time, they will play their first match against Belgium.
Following the positive performance last summer and the experience gained by the young generation, expectations surrounding Gianlorenzo Blengini's team are higher than ever. And the words of Aleksandar and Simeon Nikolov show that the national players themselves also believe that Bulgaria is ready to take the next step towards its return among the leading forces in world volleyball.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov.
