The head coach of the Bulgarian national team, Gianlorenzo Blengini, conducted a detailed analysis of the team's performance after their participation in the Nations League concluded. He did this at Vasil Levski Airport upon the return of our national players from Chicago. The Italian specialist was adamant that the reason for missing out on qualification for the Final Eight was not a lack of motivation, but rather the youth of the squad and emotional exhaustion after the demanding matches at the end of the tournament.
We are in the process of transforming a young, talented squad into a great team. Giving your maximum in one match and then recovering physically and mentally in less than 24 hours for the next equally important match requires time," Blengini commented.
According to him, the defeat by France should not be viewed in isolation, because Bulgaria's fate could have been different in several of the previous matches.
"It wasn't just the last match that cost us qualification. From the first match against Belgium to the game against Slovenia and the last one against France, there were other matches that could have brought us the necessary victory. We shouldn't only look at the last match," the head coach emphasized.
Blengini also rejected claims that some of the leading national teams were not motivated enough to reach the final tournament.
"I don't believe anyone didn't want to qualify for the finals. I guarantee that all teams pursued this goal," he stated.
Despite the great disappointment from the missed opportunity, the coach sees significant progress in the team's development.
"I wouldn't analyze only the last match. We should look at the entire tournament. We built upon last year, recorded one more win, and that was in a stronger Nations League and without hosting a tournament. The future of this team is very good, although the disappointment remains."
The Italian also drew attention to the need for the national players to mature psychologically.
"We saw that we are a young team. We have a lot to learn emotionally "," how to maintain concentration in the most tense moments. Only if we continue to improve and build upon our skills will we be able to achieve even better results."
Blengini also commented on the individual statistics, in which Alex Nikolov topped two rankings, and Simeon Nikolov ranked among the leaders in defense.
"These statistics are just numbers. They don't determine who is the best in a given position. For me, what's more important is that Alex Nikolov earned these accolades thanks to the strong tournament he had together with his teammates."
The staff's focus is now on the European Championship. Preparation begins in early August, with the national team playing four friendly matches "," two against Czechia in Samokov and two against Serbia in Sofia "," before starting their participation in the championship of the Old Continent.