Sofia-born Hristo Hristov took the next step in his career development, officially becoming a player for the Italian club Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia for the 2026/27 season. Thus, the 19-year-old outside hitter joins a club that has left a significant Bulgarian mark over the years.

Behind the young outside hitter's development stands his mother, Tsvetelina Hristova – a former middle blocker and four-time Bulgarian champion with Levski. It was she who made the decision for the family to move to Italy when Hristo was just 12 years old, so that his talent could develop in one of the strongest volleyball academies in the world. Hristov himself admits that he inherited his love for volleyball from his mother, as well as the perseverance, discipline, and fighting spirit that guide him today.
The choice proved successful. Hristov joined the Volley Treviso academy, where he quickly established himself as one of the most promising players for his age. In 2021, he won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award at the Italian U15 championship finals, and subsequently received an invitation to train with Gas Sales Piacenza's first team under the guidance of Andrea Anastasi.
Last season, Hristov played for Conad Pala Terni Volley Academy in Serie A3, where he scored 167 points. Now he takes another step in his career, having signed with Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – a club that has regained its place in professional volleyball and will compete in Serie A3 in the 2026/27 season.
In his first words as a player for his new club, Hristov admitted that from the very first discussions he was impressed by Tonno Callipo's project, seriousness, and organization. According to him, this is what tipped the scales in favor of the club, which, in his opinion, is the ideal place to continue his development and help achieve the set goals.
For Bulgarian volleyball, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia is not an unfamiliar name. Hristov becomes the sixth Bulgarian to wear the club's jersey. Before him, Ventsislav Simeonov, Metodi Ananiev, Nikolay Nikolov, Valentin Bratoev, and Todor Skrimov have worn the yellow-and-red jersey.
Interestingly, despite his Bulgarian origin, Hristov is still not a well-known name to the wider volleyball public in Bulgaria. To date, there is no public data of him having played official matches for the national teams of Bulgaria or Italy, which makes his development even more interesting to follow. Whether he will one day wear Bulgaria's jersey remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – another Bulgarian talent continues to build his career in one of the strongest volleyball nations in the world.