Bogdanka LUK Lublin's qualification for the Polish PlusLiga final, achieved after a dramatic victory over two-time champion JASTRZĘBSKI Węgiel, also has an important dimension for European club volleyball and for Bulgarian participation in it. By reaching the final, Lublin's team secured participation in the most prestigious European tournament –the Champions League, next season.

This means that next season we will watchtwo Bulgarian nationals, named Alex, in the Champions League.The captain of the national team, Alex Grozdanov, who played a key role in Lublin's historic qualification, will be part of the elite competition. He is joined by national team memberAlex Nikolov, whose team Cucine Lube Civitanova will also participate in the Champions League.

An interesting detail is that Alex and Alex, who faced each other in the Challenge Cup final, will now not only play in the Champions League with the possibility of meeting again, but also directly participated in the 'dethroning' of the champions in their respective leagues. Alex Grozdanovand Bogdanka LUK Lublineliminated the Polish championof the last two years, while national team memberAlex Nikolovand Cucine Lube Civitanova eliminatedthe Italian champion - Perugia.Both historic events happened in thesemifinalson the way to this year's final.

This remarkable synchronicity in the achievements of the two Bulgarian national players adds extra intrigue to the upcoming European season and shows a strong Bulgarian presence at the highest club level.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov