The Bulgarian U22 men's volleyball national team started its participation in the European Championship in the Portuguese city of Albufeira with a defeat. Daniel Peev's squad lost to one of the tournament favorites – Italy, 0:3 (26:28, 22:25, 20:25) in a Group II match, but especially in the first set, they showed they could successfully challenge the European vice-champion.
The young 'Lions' started the match excellently, taking an early 4:1 lead, and subsequently extended their advantage to 10:6 and 17:13. The Bulgarian team controlled the events on the court and was the first to reach set point at 24:23, after which they had two more opportunities to close the first set. The Italians, however, showed character, saved all of Bulgaria's chances, and after a dramatic finish, snatched the set 28:26. According to the Italian staff, it was the comeback in the opening set that completely changed the momentum of the match.
In the second set, 'Squadra Azzurra' started more confidently and relied mainly on their strong serve. The Bulgarians managed to reduce a five-point deficit to just one at 13:14, and at the end, they narrowed the gap from 19:24 to 22:24, but could not complete the comeback. Italy also won this set 25:22.
The third set started evenly, but after the tenth point, the Italians gradually asserted their superiority. They pulled away at 15:11, and an ace by Manuel Zlatanov for 20:13 definitively tilted the scales in their favor. Until the end, Bulgaria could not find a way back into the match, and Italy closed the encounter after 25:20.
The most effective player for the Bulgarian squad was Zhasmin Velichkov with 11 points (2 aces, 1 block). Erik Georgiev (3 aces) and Nikolay Ivanov finished with 10 points each.
For the winners, Diego Frascio scored the most with 16 points, while Manuel Zlatanov added 13 points.
Bulgaria's next challenge is on Tuesday (June 30), when the national team will face the reigning European champion France at 22:30 Bulgarian time. In their last group stage match, on Wednesday (July 1), Daniel Peev's boys will meet the Czech Republic.

photo: cev.eu