They say that the morning is wiser than the evening. After such a painful loss, emotions can easily get the better of you, and they are rarely the best judge. That's why I chose to let a night pass, rewatch the key moments, and only then write this comment.

This is not an analysis that claims to be the absolute truth. This is my opinion on what happened at the end of the match against Slovenia – regarding the decisions on the court, the management of the game, and the lessons that, in my opinion, this talented Bulgarian team must learn if they want to take the next step towards their big dream.

For me, Bulgaria did not lose to the better team. Bulgaria lost a match that they held firmly in their hands. With a 2:1 set lead and 20:16 in the fourth set, this match should have been closed out. Instead, we allowed a comeback that hurts not only because of the result but because it was entirely preventable.

Bulgaria practically plays with one main starting lineup, that's a fact. There aren't enough equally strong alternatives, and that's a fact, although there will be people who will 'pull water from a hundred wells' by overwhelming me with names. But honestly, Slovenia doesn't have a significantly longer or equally strong bench either. The difference was elsewhere.

The difference was in the management of the match.

The Slovenian staff used every opportunity to disrupt our rhythm. Substitutions, timeouts, tactical decisions – everything was aimed at making Bulgaria lose the synchronization it had built. Gradually, the hosts regained their confidence, while ours began to crack. Yes, Blengini also made substitutions. He brought in Venislav Antov, Denislav Bardarov, and we also saw the already traditional substitution of Stoil Palev for serving. The question, however, is whether these decisions came at the right moment and whether they genuinely influenced the development of the match. Personally, I was left with the impression that the Slovenian staff reacted faster, more precisely, and more adequately.

And here I come to another topic that is already being discussed.

Regarding the absence of Zhasmin Velichkov. Yes, he is very young, yes, he only made his senior men's debut this year, yes, he is currently with the U22 national team preparing for the European Championship, but his presence with the senior men's team is already missed. Especially at the service line, he brought the necessary balance in key moments. It's enough to recall the tournament in Brazil, where he made only one serving error in four matches. This is immense value for a player who comes in precisely under pressure.

The other thing that caught my attention is Simeon Nikolov.

His talent is undeniable. In my opinion, he is currently the greatest talent in Bulgarian volleyball. But precisely because expectations for him are so high, the criteria must also be high. Against Slovenia, we again saw how, at certain moments, the desire to do something unconventional prevailed over the most correct decision. He finished with 5 points, 2 of them from blocks and three from attacks, two of which were errors, and he was blocked once. So far, nothing unusual, he constantly tries to be unconventional, which is why he is a threat at the net, but he was sanctioned several times for improper play, including during an extremely important situation at the end of the fourth set when the first referee Mokri Juraj called a carried ball.

Personally, I miss having someone next to him to guide him back to simple decisions in such moments. It's no coincidence that at the 2024 U20 Men's European Championship in Greece and Serbia, his father, Vlado Nikolov, was part of the staff. Back then, I was left with the impression that his presence had a calming and disciplinary effect. The same applied to Simeon's time at Lokomotiv (Novosibirsk) under Plamen Konstantinov. I don't recall him taking so many liberties in the most crucial moments then.

And one more thing.

I don't want Aleksandar Nikolov to be put in a situation where he has to win Bulgaria's matches alone. Against Slovenia, he had another phenomenal game with 28 points, but even that wasn't enough. A team with ambitions for a Final Eight, and subsequently for the Olympic Games, cannot constantly rely on one person to decide everything.

Especially since from next season, the two brothers will be teammates at Lube. Alex will already have to shoulder an enormous responsibility for his younger brother's adaptation in one of the world's biggest clubs. We shouldn't get used to the idea that he has to carry Bulgaria on his back in every difficult match.

When you squander a four-point lead at the end of the fourth set, the responsibility is never solely on the players. It also lies with the coaching staff. It is precisely in such moments that big matches are won – with timely timeouts, correct substitutions, precise tactical decisions, and the ability to break the opponent's momentum.

And despite everything, we must not forget the most important thing.

Simeon Nikolov is only 19 years old. Mistakes are part of the growth of every great setter. There is still time for development, and I am convinced that these situations can be overcome.

The problem is that time doesn't wait.

The 2026 European Championship is knocking at the door. After that comes the big dream – the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. For the first time in several years, Bulgaria has a generation that has a very real chance to fight for an Olympic quota. But potential alone doesn't win matches. They are won by discipline, correct decisions in critical moments, and the ability of both the players and the coaching staff to learn from such painful losses.

That is precisely why I believe now is the time to speak openly about these problems. Not to find culprits, but because they can still be fixed. It's better to tell ourselves the truth after a loss in the Nations League than after a missed Olympic dream.

I sincerely hope that today's day off helps everyone to "cool their heads". Tomorrow against Canada, Bulgaria must play with utmost concentration. Because this match is extremely important. And I sincerely do not want us to talk in two years about another talented Bulgarian generation that was "very promising" but missed its chance to play at the biggest sports forum in the world – the Olympic Games.

There might be those who disagree with me. There might be even more extreme opinions. This is my interpretation of what happened. I criticize not because I don't believe in this team, but quite the opposite – because I believe they have the potential to achieve much more. And if we want to talk about an Olympic quota in two years, rather than another missed talented generation, such conversations must happen today, not when it's already too late.