Former CSKA youth player Viden Natsev will continue his career in the French elite, having signed with Narbonne for the 2026/2027 season. Thus, the young outside hitter takes the next important step in his development, after establishing himself in recent years as one of the most promising volleyball players in the French system.
Narbonne finished 11th in the final standings of the French Marmara SpikeLigue last season, but remains one of the clubs with traditions in the country and a regular participant in the battle against the leading teams in the championship.
The team officially presented its seven new signings for the 2026/2027 season, among whom is French international Viden Natsev. Besides him, French players Simon Gill and Taylan Dalez, Italian Tim Held, Spaniard Carlos Nieves, American Ben Brown, and Israeli Nikita Maron also join the "Centurions". In this way, the club demonstrates serious ambitions for a stronger performance after finishing 11th in the championship last season.

The interest in Natsev was serious. According to reports, he received offers from six clubs in the French first division, including Narbonne, Montpellier, Nice, Chaumont, Tourcoing, and Toulouse. Ultimately, he chose Narbonne's project, where he will have the opportunity to develop at the highest level.
The transfer means that Natsev will face some of the biggest names in French and world volleyball. Among them are Olympic champion and French star Earvin Ngapeth, national team player Nicolas Le Goff, as well as Bulgarian international Venislav Antov.
Before reaching a professional contract in the elite, Natsev went through one of the most prestigious academies in French volleyball. For the past three years, he was part of CNVB – France's national volleyball center, through which the country's greatest talents and future "Les Bleus" internationals pass.
The season ended excellently for the Bulgarian. In the final of the Elite Avenir championship, the CNVB team defeated Martigue 3:0 (25:20, 25:19, 25:21) and won the championship title. Natsev was among the key figures in the squad on the way to the gold medals.
He made an impressive end to the campaign in the French B league as well, where he earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in his team's last match.
An additional advantage for Natsev's development is the opportunity to train under the guidance of the distinguished French specialist Patrick Duflo.