For some time, Tsvetan Sokolov has disappeared from the spotlight. Despite his retirement from the national team, he remains one of the highest quality active Bulgarian volleyball players and among the few playing at a world level. Sokolov was chosen as the Most Valuable Player in the Russian Cup tournament at the end of 2024, which his Dynamo Moscow team won decisively against Zenit (Kazan) with a 3:0 score, and the Bulgarian finished with an impressive 22 points for such a short match. What has been happening in the diagonal's life recently, you will learn in the following lines.

Petar STOYANOV "Tema Sport"

- Tsetso, hello! Let's start with the trivial question - how are you, are you healthy?

- Yes. I feel quite well. I am physically healthy, which is the most important thing. We play a lot of matches. We finished 2024 in the best way - by winning the Russian Cup. We recently lost a match that cost us second place. But the team is in good form, we are playing well and moving in the right direction.

- You mentioned the Russian Cup final a month ago, you became the MVP. What will you remember about the final against Zenit?

- The fact that last season we lost the Cup final against them 0:3 and this year we took revenge, again with a 3:0 score. I will remember the match for playing a very good game as a team. Especially considering that we play quite hard against Zenit. They play a much more technical volleyball than us, while we rely on a more power-based game. In that match, things worked out for us, we played it perfectly. With very few mistakes and the final result was concise. So I have good emotions because we lifted the Cup.

- This is your sixth season in Russia. Are you starting to feel at home there?

- No, home is only Bulgaria. Wherever you go outside your homeland, you are a foreigner. Of course, the team here has always helped me feel at home. But no matter what we say, home is one, and that is Bulgaria.

- How is the championship different compared to the beginning of your stay there?

- Yes. When I arrived in Russia, mainly power volleyball was played here. But many foreign specialists have passed through the local clubs, and I would say that the championship has advanced a lot both tactically and technically. Volleyball here is growing. The competition has increased. The difference between the first and last is no longer so great. Any team can beat any other.

- I'm taking you back to the moment you decided to accept the challenge of playing in Russia. Did you have any hesitations and concerns then? What worried you, if there was such a thing at all?

- When the offer from Zenit came, we sat down to talk with the family. At that time, I wanted to conquer new heights. I hadn't played in Russia and I wanted to become a champion. And that happened.

- Apparently, the decision was mutual. And did you and your wife realize then what awaited you in Russia, because I know about the grueling travels, huge distances, long absences. I've heard that very often there isn't even time for training.

- That's right, there's a lot of traveling. We even wondered about something once - we traveled 5 hours for a match, and in that city, the difference with Moscow was 4 hours. And you're within Russia. We knew it would be quite difficult. But things worked out well - I became champion with Dynamo. And we stayed a little longer.

- That is, you didn't expect to stay 6 seasons in Russia?

- Yes, I didn't. But you can never know what awaits you. Contracts here are mainly year by year. Nothing is certain.

- I meant that you didn't set a deadline - say 2 years, after which you would go back to the warmth of Italy.

- There was such an opportunity after the first year. But I had set out for Russia with the clear idea of becoming a champion, and in the first year we only won the Cup. The championship ended prematurely due to the pandemic. And after that, I went to Dynamo Moscow and we became champions.

- You turned 35, with 20 years of professional experience. Is the end in sight?

- But I don't look it, do I? (Laughs) It's normal for any professional athlete to see the end at this age. But for now, I can still play. I don't look that far ahead. I try to stay in shape and be in my best condition on the court. If you ask me if I'm thinking about retiring, not yet. That's not on the agenda.

– You're joking about your age, but is it taking a toll?

– Of course, you start paying more attention to your physical condition. More therapies are done, more exercises to keep you in shape. It's not like I'm 20 years old, to wake up from

sleep and directly go jumping. I have to pay more attention to my body. I've had two surgeries and I try to stay in good condition.

– Is the fact that you're not participating in European club tournaments a relief for you?

– Here comes the difference that more tournaments are being played at the moment. This compensates for not participating in Europe. The level has not dropped, for me it has increased and is going up. We still play Wednesday – Sunday. So the matches are not fewer.

– Do you have clarity on where you'll continue next season?

– As I said earlier, the contracts are for one year. At the moment, I'm not looking that far ahead. I'm concentrating on the upcoming commitments. The playoffs are starting. And that's the priority. I have time to think.

– And do you want to stay there?

– Whether I want to stay or not, time will tell. And there are many external factors on which things depend. It doesn't just depend on me.

– You yourself said you're far from the end of your career. How many more years do you imagine playing at a high level?

– I don't know. I prefer to end my career while I can still play volleyball at a high level. As long as my body allows me to play at such a level, I would play. It gets harder every year. As long as I can, I would take advantage.

– Meaning, we rule out the option of you returning to Bulgaria for a final season in your career?

– Why? I would be happy, because I haven't become a champion only in Bulgaria yet. (Sokolov has been a champion in the three countries he has played in – Italy, Turkey, Russia – author's note).

– I say that because, after all, the Bulgarian championship is not at the level of the Italian, Turkish, or Russian ones. And you yourself say you want to retire while you're at a very high level.

– The championships in Russia and Italy are indeed at a very high level. But in recent years, the Bulgarian championship has improved and quality volleyball is being played. And you see – many well-known players have returned to play in our country. I've watched two or three matches from the Bulgarian championship, and the level is high. So why not return to Bulgaria at the end of my career and play one season? Why not? It depends on my physical condition.

– Has the workload eased after you stopped playing for the national team?

– Yes, life has changed a lot. I have much more time to spend with my family. Let's not forget that I was in the national team from the age of 18 and since then I haven't had a free summer. I was at training camps with the team, traveling, and I had 2 weeks off to spend with my family. My children turned 10 and I spent one summer with them – the last one. It also eased up physically.

– The national team is still having difficulty finding a replacement for you. Do you follow the young players and do you see potential in anyone to take your place?

– I have little observation of the Bulgarian championship, but I see that Venislav Antov from Levski is performing very well. Even in the Champions League. He is young and I would say he is an excellent replacement. I watched Levski's two matches against Jastrzębski and he performed very well. In Bulgaria, there have always been quality players, and finding a replacement, I don't think, is that difficult.

– You became champion of Italy with Lube together with our new coach, Gianlorenzo Blengini. What were your impressions of working with him?

- A great specialist. And very good at working with young people. But it's important for the athletes to listen to what he tells them. Every coach comes with their own idea, their own strategy. And it's important for them to trust him. For me, the guys played a pretty good Nations League last year. With a quite changed style. And I think this team will only grow.

- Part of the new generation includes brothers Alex and Simeon Nikolov. Alex continued the Bulgarian legacy in Civitanova with the Italian Cup at the end of January.

- Yes, that was a big title for him. And the feeling is great, I've been in his shoes and it's really wonderful. I hope Alex is healthy and I wish him a lot of success. For Moni, I can say that he is making a splash in the United States. I want to wish both of them health, because they have everything else. They just need to work hard and look forward.