During the national volleyball team's first open training session in Samokov, several key players shared their thoughts and expectations for the upcoming season and the Nations League.
LiberoMartin Bozhilov, who at 37 years old continues to be part of the team, expressed his honor and privilege to be there. He emphasized that his main goal is to support this young squad with his experience, hoping not to hinder but rather to help a young libero enter big-time volleyball and even succeed him in the future, similar to how he succeeded Teddy Salparov. Bozhilov sees a cohesive core of players, joined by new young talents, all positively настроed and striving to improve their game in every subsequent match. According to him, results will come with time. He also highlighted the positive impact of many young volleyball players playing abroad, giving examples with Moni Nikolov, Alex Nikolov, Alex Grozdanov, and Georgi Tatarov. He noted that next year he will likely be the only one from the current group playing in the Bulgarian championship, which speaks to the growth of the others. He wished strong development to his young teammates. Regarding the Nations League, the focus is on all three tournaments, but the home event in Burgas is of particular importance, as the organization is expensive and requires a lot of effort. Therefore, he called on the Bulgarian public to support the team in the arena and hopes to delight them with as many victories as possible.
Outside hitterAsparuh Asparuhov is optimistic and believes that Bulgaria can achieve its best ranking in the Nations League. According to him, the time has come for the team to start winning more matches, and they are ready for it. The progress in their game throughout the season is visible, and the team is capable of taking the next step forward. He noted that some of the guys have reached finals with their club teams, which shows good form. Playing in front of a home crowd is extremely enjoyable and will help the team, so he urges fans to come to Burgas and promises maximum effort for a good performance. Asparuhov also touched on the long-term goal for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, which has been set for a long time and for which everyone is now working individually and collectively at a higher level. Reaching this goal is a dream for every national team player.
Another outside hitter,Georgi Tatarov, also expressed confidence that the team can take a step forward and improve its performance from last year. He believes that the inclusion of players who have not participated before will contribute to better results, with the goal of ranking in the Top 8 of the Nations League. Like his teammates, Tatarov is of the opinion that the home tournament in Bulgaria will help for a stronger performance. He emphasizes the importance of the experience gained from playing in strong and competitive foreign leagues, which he considers a big plus for the national team. Personally, he feels well-rested after a short break. Tatarov sees it as a positive step that all men's national teams train in one place, facilitating the staff in monitoring the players. Next season he will play in Italy for the Grottazzolina team.
Opposite hitterVenislav Antov stated that he is currently entirely focused on training with the national team before joining his new club in France. His personal goal is to progress as much as possible, and for the team, he hopes they record more victories than last year (when they had 3) and gradually climb the world rankings. He hopes that after the VNL, the team will be as high as possible in the ranking. Antov described the new hall in Burgas as very nice and hopes it will be full of spectators, whom the team will strive to delight. For him personally, playing with the national team in front of a home crowd will be a great emotion, as it has not happened to him before. Finally, he wished health to himself and the entire team, and for them to give their all on the court. From next season, Venislav Antov will be part of the French Tourcoing (Lille).
