The President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, Lubomir Ganev, is in Brazil, where he is supporting the national team during the first week of the Volleyball Nations League. In a conversation forVolleyWeek.bghe commented on the bids to host the VNL in 2027, the performance of the national team, the preparations for the European Championship, the project for a new song for the national teams, and the discussions surrounding the television broadcasting of volleyball in Bulgaria.

In Brazil to support the national team

Ganev explained that he had planned his visit several months ago. Initially, he intended to attend only the tournament in Chicago, but subsequently decided to also visit Brazil.
"It is important for us to show support for the team. As a federation and as volleyball people, we must be close to the athletes. Even yesterday, I arrived directly from the airport at the hall and watched the match. I believe that every leader should show empathy for the team and be by its side when there is an opportunity," commented the president of the federation.

Five cities are candidates for VNL 2027

One of the main topics of discussion was the possibility for Bulgaria to host a Volleyball Nations League tournament again in 2027.
According to Ganev, currently five cities have expressed interest in hosting – Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, and Ruse.
"We have several bids from cities that want to host the Volleyball Nations League in 2027. The Federation has sent its terms and requirements, but at the moment, we do not have official confirmation from any municipality," he explained.
According to Ganev, the federation must choose the city to propose to the international headquarters, but before that, all organizational conditions must be guaranteed.
Among the requirements are a suitable hall, hotel infrastructure, transportation accessibility, and all necessary logistics for hosting a tournament of such rank.
The President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation specified that there are actually five halls in Bulgaria that can host such an event – Arena 8888 Sofia, Kolodruma in Plovdiv, Arena Burgas, the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, and Arena Ruse.

Eurovision also influences the host selection

Ganev also pointed out an interesting detail regarding the delay in decisions from the municipalities.
According to him, it is possible that some of the cities are awaiting developments regarding the bids to host Eurovision, as four out of the five potential hosts for the Volleyball Nations League are also among the candidates for the music contest.
"Perhaps these cities are waiting to see who will be chosen for Eurovision," he said.
At the same time, Ganev does not believe this should be a real problem, as there is more than a month's difference between the two events.
According to him, it is more a matter of financial planning and the need for municipalities to assess whether they can secure the funds for such a hosting.
"If a municipality has to host such an event, it means a serious financial commitment. These funds must be planned and secured," he explained.
Ganev expects to have final clarity within a month on which city will be chosen as a candidate host for Bulgaria.

The loss to Belgium is no reason for panic.

The president of the federation called for a calmer analysis after Bulgaria's defeat in the first match of the tournament.
According to him, the beginning of such competitions is traditionally difficult for many teams, and individual errors were a decisive factor.
"Volleyball is a game of errors. The sets we lost were by a two-point margin. This means that with two fewer errors, the result could have been different."
He emphasized that the main task for the team is to reduce the number of errors and strictly follow the instructions of the coaching staff.
"We need to work more, do what is required of us, and reduce individual errors. Ultimately, this is a game where the team with fewer errors has a greater chance to win."

The training camp in Argentina was useful.

Ganev does not accept long journeys as an excuse for the team's performance.
He defended the decision for the national team to hold a training camp in Argentina before the start of the tournament.
"This was a very good opportunity for acclimatization, and also for the coaching staff to finalize the squad and see which players they could rely on."
According to him, the volleyball players are used to such journeys, and the reasons for the losses should be sought within the team, not in external factors.
"The conditions here are excellent. The hall is wonderful, and so is the hotel. We have always shown that when we play as a team and fight for every ball, the results come."

The Los Angeles Olympics remains the big goal.

The president of the federation emphasized that the strategic goal for the men's national team remains unchanged.
"The big goal is to qualify for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. Everyone in the team is motivated by this very goal."

The European Championship is going according to plan.

According to Ganev, preparations for the European Championship are proceeding normally, and all organizational activities are on schedule.
"We have numerous partners who joined the organization. All our partners have now been finally approved by the European Confederation."
The interest in tickets is particularly impressive.
Sales began as early as November 7, 2025, through the Early Bird program, and according to the federation president, the results are more than good.
For the matches Bulgaria – Poland and Bulgaria – Portugal, there are no available seats left, and for the clash with Ukraine, only a few hundred tickets remain.
The interest is huge not only from Bulgarian fans but also from foreign supporters.

VIP seats and corporate boxes remain.

The Federation has not yet released all ticket categories for sale.
Seats near the court, part of the VIP zones, and some corporate boxes are yet to be offered.
According to Ganev, sales of boxes have already been made, and the remaining ones will be officially offered to corporate clients in the coming weeks.

Over 120,000 spectators and an economic effect of over 20 million euros.

The president of the federation expects full stands during the championship.
According to predictions, over 120,000 spectators will attend the matches live if the national team reaches the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, the expected economic effect for Bulgaria exceeds 20 million euros.
The federation itself will invest approximately 2.5 million euros for the organization of the tournament, including hotel accommodation, transportation, venue rental, marketing, advertising, and logistics.

The Federation has no involvement with television rights.

A significant part of the conversation was dedicated to the dissatisfaction among fans regarding the new sports channel Max One and its limited distribution.
Ganev was adamant that the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation has no involvement in the process of acquiring and distributing television rights.
The rights for the Volleyball Nations League, World Championships, and other tournaments are sold by FIVB. For European competitions, the rights belong to CEV. The Federation has no involvement in these processes.
He emphasized that broadcasters not only purchase the rights but also invest funds for the production and broadcasting of the content.
Therefore, we must thank all media outlets that find the means and opportunities to show volleyball to the Bulgarian audience.

Conversations are ongoing between A1, Vivacom, and Yettel.

According to information available to the federation president, discussions are already underway between A1 and the other operators regarding the distribution of Max One.
As far as I know, negotiations are underway between A1, Vivacom, Yettel, and the other operators. The goal is for this channel to be accessible to more people.
Ganev expressed confidence that a solution would be found and that fans' interest would speed up the process.
According to him, the idea is for the channel to be available to subscribers of other operators without additional charge.

The contract for covering international volleyball is until 2028.

The president of the federation revealed that the current contract for international volleyball rights is for a three-year period and covers the cycle leading up to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
He also recalled a little-known fact from the past.
During the time when BNT (Bulgarian National Television) broadcast the World League, the federation paid funds for these matches to be produced and shown.
Ganev highly praised the partnership with A1 and Max Sport and emphasized that the more televisions and platforms show volleyball, the better it is for the development of the sport in Bulgaria.