The President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, Lyubomir Ganev, and the head coach of the women's national team, Marcello Abbondanza, outlined Bulgaria's goals before the start of the European Championship. Ganev emphasized climbing the world rankings and fighting for a spot at the next World Championship, while the Italian specialist highlighted the development of the young squad and the need for time and patience.
The two spoke to the media during the national team's open training session at Hristo Botev Hall, and before the practice, Ganev addressed the players personally.
"I wished them, first and foremost, to be healthy, to play for each other, to help each other, and to listen to the coach and staff. I wished them to succeed in making Bulgarians happy, because we, as management, believe in them. Naturally, our greatest asset is the fans," Ganev stated.
The President of the federation paid special attention to the world rankings, where Bulgaria currently holds 31st place.
"If we want to qualify for the World Championship next year, we will have to climb at least three, four, or five places to be sure. I wished the girls to play with heart, to give their all, and, if possible, to move up a few places," Ganev said.
He also placed the current national team within the federation's long-term strategy, with an eye on the Olympic Games in 2032.
"Our goal is to be close to the possibility of qualifying for the Olympic Games in 2032. These are the players, and younger ones from subsequent generations will join them. For us, the players are the greatest asset we possess," added the federation president.
For the European Championship itself, Ganev did not set a specific ranking as a mandatory goal but expressed confidence that Bulgaria would pass the group stage.
"I want them to play match by match. Everything depends on current form, execution of coaching instructions, and sporting luck. I am sure we will get out of the groups. If after the European Championship we are three, four, or five places higher in the ranking, that will be a great success for me," Ganev concluded.
Marcello Abbondanza also demonstrated cautious optimism before the championship and noted progress in the performance of the young Bulgarian squad.
"Honestly, we are playing better now than before. We lost some matches, some of our players will be absent, but the team is definitely playing better volleyball," the Italian stated.
Abbondanza refused to predict a specific ranking, again emphasizing that the main task is the development of the team.
"I don't have a crystal ball to predict how we will perform. With the young players, we had a period where we struggled, and the Nations League was an example of that. I hope to see something more at the European Championship, but we need time and great patience," the coach said.
According to Abbondanza, the federation and the coaching staff are united around the long-term project for the development of the young national team players.
"We cannot have goals for results, but rather goals for development. It is logical that we will try to perform in the best possible way and qualify for the World Championship, but at this moment we can talk about development, not results," he emphasized.
The Italian specialist sees progress in all elements but pointed to the lack of experience as the main problem for the team.
"We improved ball play, fast play, and team performance. In the Nations League, we played equally against some teams, but at certain moments, the lack of experience became apparent. I think that at the European Championship, the players will already be better prepared to take that small step forward," Abbondanza concluded.
The national team is departing for the Netherlands, where they will play their final friendly matches, after which they will head to the Czech city of Brno for the start of the European Championship.
The message from Ganev and Abbondanza is in one direction – Bulgaria will pursue the maximum at EuroVolley, but the tournament is part of a longer-term project. The immediate task is to climb the world rankings and increase the chances of qualifying for the World Championship, and the big goal is to build a team capable of approaching an Olympic quota in the coming years.