Only 90 minutes will separate Ivaylo Ivanov from landing in Sofia to the first whistle of Teodor Salparov's testimonial match "One Career - One Legend". And that's after an overnight journey from Nairobi, a layover in Istanbul, and no time for rest.
Volleyweek.bglearned that the most authoritative Bulgarian volleyball referee will return to Bulgaria on the very day of the spectacle at "Arena 8888". According to the schedule, his plane should land around 3:00 PM, and the testimonial begins at 4:30 PM. The plan is clear - from the airport, Ivanov goes straight to the hall.
However, there is one unknown that could disrupt the entire plan. The more serious risk is related to the departure from Nairobi. Just days ago, on August 31, a Turkish Airlines flight on the same Nairobi - Istanbul route was canceled due to strike actions by local ground staff. Precisely potential new problems with flights from the Kenyan capital are the big unknown for Ivanov's trip.
The Bulgarian referee is currently in Nairobi due to his commitments at the African Women's Championship. His journey to Bulgaria will be with Turkish Airlines and with a layover in Istanbul, with sufficient time for the connection itself.
If all goes according to plan, the real rush will begin after landing in Sofia. Ivanov will not go home and will not have time to rest - from the airport, he will head directly to "Arena 8888" to take his place on the referee's platform.
The organizers are, however, prepared for a scenario where Ivanov might not arrive on time.Volleyweek.bglearned that the third referee in the brigade will be Krasimir Yotinski, who will join the testimonial in case of a possible delay by Ivanov. Thus, the conduct of the match as scheduled will not depend on whether the Bulgarian international referee manages to get from the airport to "Arena 8888" on time.
Ivaylo Ivanov and Dobromir Dobrev are the two main referees chosen to officiate Salparov's testimonial. Ivanov reached the biggest stage for a volleyball referee - the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, where he officiated a total of nine matches.
The last two strong additions to the Foreigners' Team are Emanuele Birarelli and Simon Tischer.
The Italian Birarelli completes the group of middle blockers. The long-standing stalwart of Trento is a three-time Champions League winner and a four-time Club World Champion. With Italy, he won Olympic silver in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 under the leadership of Gianlorenzo Blengini, and four years earlier in London, he took bronze.
At the setter position alongside Michele Baranowicz in the Foreigners' Team will be the German Simon Tischer. He was a teammate of Salparov and Vladimir Nikolov at ASUL Lyon during the 2013/14 season. Tischer is a four-time German champion with Friedrichshafen, and his biggest club success is the triumph in the Champions League in 2007.
Teodor Salparov's testimonial "One Career - One Legend" is on September 5th at 4:30 PM in "Arena 8888".