The saga surrounding the new club of Bulgarian national player Darina Naneva has come to a happy end. Following the hearing before the Supreme Council of the French National Volleyball League's Financial Commission (DNACG) on July 2, Virtus Le Cannet officially announced on July 3 that it had received a license to participate in the elite Saforelle Power 6 for the 2026/27 season.
In an official announcement published on July 3, the management of Virtus Le Cannet confirmed that the club's appeal had been upheld and its participation in the championship was finally approved. The club stated that the decision was the result of weeks of hard work, communication, and mobilization, with the submitted documents convincing the commission of the project's stability and the presence of the necessary financial guarantees.

The management thanked the municipality of Le Cannet for its support throughout the entire procedure, as well as the accounting firm that assisted in preparing the financial documentation. Thanks were also extended to partners, supporters, and everyone who had backed the club during the difficult period.
Just a few weeks ago, the club's future seemed seriously jeopardized. Following the surprising resignation of the main investor and president Stav Jacobi, the financial commission of the French National Volleyball League initially denied a license to the then Volero Le Cannet. The reason was not related to sporting results, but to the change in management and the need to present additional financial guarantees and documents proving the project's sustainability.
Instead of accepting the decision, the management immediately filed an appeal and began restructuring. In the meantime, Volero Le Cannet officially changed its name to Virtus Le Cannet, presented its new identity under the motto "One Name, One Vision, One Ambition," and continued building its squad for the 2026/27 season, with Bulgarian national player Darina Naneva among the new additions.
Even before the final decision, the club's general director, Jelena Lozančić, expressed confidence in a successful outcome. In an interview with the regional daily newspaperNice-Matinshe stated that the situation was far calmer than it appeared from the outside and emphasized that the management simply did not have enough time to present the entire new project and all financial guarantees before the commission's first meeting. According to her, the appeal was primarily a technical procedure through which the club would provide all required documents.
Her words proved entirely accurate after the DNACG's Supreme Council upheld the appeal and gave Virtus Le Cannet the green light to participate in the French elite league.
For 17-year-old Darina Naneva, this means she will start her first season in Saforelle Power 6 without any administrative hurdles. The world and European champion with Bulgaria's national youth teams (U19 and U18) had already been officially presented as a Virtus Le Cannet player, having transferred from Serbian club Jedinstvo (Stara Pazova). Prior to that, the talented outside hitter played for Maritsa (Plovdiv), and last summer she made her first steps with the Bulgarian women's national team at the World Championship in Thailand.
Meanwhile, Virtus Le Cannet is actively building its squad for the new season, relying on a combination of young talent and experience. In addition to Darina Naneva, the club has signed 21-year-old Turkish outside hitter Eylül Durgun from Bahçelievler Belediyespor, 17-year-old Cuban prospect Salet Castillo, Chinese opposite Jie Sun, who was chosen as the best in her position in the Chinese championship for the 2025/26 season, 18-year-old Turkish youth national player Ceyda Kuyan from Zeren Spor, and experienced Chinese outside hitter Bingtong Shi from Liaoning. At the same time, the club retained libero Amandine Giardino and young middle blocker Laura Biro, who will also be part of the project next season.
Following the DNACG's final decision, Virtus Le Cannet's focus is now entirely on preparing for the new season. The club will be able to calmly implement its ambitious project, and Darina Naneva will have the opportunity to make her debut in one of Europe's strongest national championships.