Gianlorenzo Blengini, the Italian head coach of our men's national volleyball team, revealed ambitious goals and an interesting philosophy for the game in an interview for the podcast "First Tempo" by Volleyball Explained.
👉 On his appointment:
Negotiations with the Bulgarian federation were not difficult – both sides wanted the same thing: a new beginning with a new generation. For me, this is a challenge I eagerly accepted.
👉 On his philosophy:
I don't believe in universal recipes. The important thing is to know your players and get them to give their best according to their qualities. He criticized the common perception that attack has only two options – flawless play or seeking a point with power. "There's a large group of solutions... which I call 'medium solutions', with which we can win points without great risk," Blengini explained, giving an example of a well-executed short ball (tip), which can be just as effective as a powerful attack. As proof, he pointed to France – a two-time Olympic champion that does not rely primarily on physical power.
So, we are working on more “smart” solutions in attack – not just powerful spikes, but also techniques like a technical “tip” for a point.
👉 On modern volleyball:
Today, there is much talk about strength and physique, but France showed that you can also win with technique, organization, and team balance. Any style can be winning if it suits your players.
👉 On height:
Yes, height is important – especially for middle blockers, due to the increasingly faster game. But volleyball remains a technical sport – everything starts with how you touch the ball. He dislikes the idea that volleyball is only for tall players.
👉 On serving:
Not every situation requires a power serve. Sometimes a good float serve can be more effective. The key is balance – to make fewer mistakes as a team and ensure consistency in play.
👉 On long-term and short-term goals:
The big goal is qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. But today, the focus is on the development of young players – to understand which players can go with us on this path and how to catch up with leading teams faster. Asked what is more important in the summer – VNL or the World Championship, he replied that he doesn't like to choose, but "it's easy to say that the World Championship is more important" as the strongest tournament after the Olympics.
👉 Regarding the Bulgarian championship:
The league is balanced – three to four stronger teams, but also surprises, as we saw with Pirin and Neftochimic. This helps young players grow. There's a slight lack of power in serving and reception compared to Italy or Poland, but there is potential.
👉 Regarding working with young players:
He expressed hope that young Bulgarian players would get more and more playing time and praised the federation's initiative to create a "B" team (which will work in the summer to develop young players, separate from the U21 youth team led by Ventsi Simoenov) so that they do not stop their development. Regarding the selection of young players for the men's team, Blengini emphasized that a chance is given to whoever is ready toplay, not just take up a spot. Young players must work year-round to advance not only technically but also mentally.
The national team training camp starts on April 27 in Sofia, and the deadline for announcing the squad for the Nations League (VNL) is in mid-May.
