The Bulgarian national team will be part of a historic night for Slovenian volleyball during the second tournament of the Nations League, which will gather some of the strongest teams in the world – Italy, Brazil, Canada, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and host Slovenia – in Ljubljana from June 24 to 28.
The organizers from the Slovenian Volleyball Federation announced that a special ceremony, unprecedented in the history of local volleyball, will be held before the match between Slovenia and Bulgaria on June 25 at Stožice Hall.
For the first time, Slovenia will retire the numbers of its national legends. The jerseys of opposite Mitja Gasparini with number 6 and setter Dejan Vinčič with number 9 will be raised to the hall's rafters.
The President of the Slovenian Volleyball Federation, Metod Ropret, confirmed at a special press conference that the day of the match with the Bulgarian team was chosen for the historic ceremony.
"On the second day of the tournament, during the match with Bulgaria, another special event awaits us. For the first time in the history of Slovenian volleyball, we will raise two jerseys to the hall's rafters – number 6 of Mitja Gasparini and number 9 of Dejan Vinčič," stated Ropret.

The two are among the most significant figures in the history of the Slovenian national team and were part of the generation that transformed the country into a constant factor on the European and world stage.
The tournament in Ljubljana will be Slovenia's third home event in the Nations League after the 2024 and 2025 editions. Organizers expect full stands at Stožice, and the special ceremony will further increase interest in the match between Slovenia and Bulgaria.
For the Bulgarian national players, this will mean participating in one of the most emotional nights in the history of Slovenian volleyball, in front of a packed hall and in an atmosphere comparable to finals of major international championships.

photos: OZS