The Bulgarian national men's U21 volleyball team has begun intensive preparation for the upcoming EuroVolley 2026 qualification matches. Our country will host the qualifiers, which will take place from July 10 to 13 in the "Sammeleon" hall in Samokov. The opponents of the young "lions" are the teams from Spain, Norway, and the Netherlands.

20 players in Simeonov's squad

Head coach Ventsislav Simeonov called up an extended squad of 20 players who will compete for a spot on the final roster for the tournament. Among them are well-known young talents from leading Bulgarian clubs.

Setters:

• Viktor Zhekov (Levski)

• Daniel Mitsin (Pirin)

• Rangel Vitekov (Beroe 2016)

Outside Hitters:

• Alexander Kandez (Levski)

• Kristiyan Andreev (CSKA)

• Lyubomir Zlatkov (CSKA)

• Nikolay Ivanov (Dobrudzha)

• Ognyan Hristov (Beroe 2016)

Opposite Hitters:

• Georgi Bachvarov (Beroe 2016)

• Kristian Titriyski (Levski)

• Mark Mihaylov (CSKA)

Middle Blockers:

• Alexander Nikolov (Lokomotiv)

• Georgi Paunov (Hebar)

• Konstantin Dinov (Slavia)

• Kostadin Kozelov (Levski)

• Stiliyan Delibosov (Pirin)

• Tomislav Rusev (Pirin)

Libero:

• Alexander Tsanev (Cherno More)

• Konstantin Chipev (Levski)

• Yasen Petrov (Neftochimic)

The preparation will take place entirely in Samokov, with friendly matches against other national teams also planned.

The coach: "We have the desire and time to work"

"So far, everything is fine. The boys are healthy, albeit in different conditions. Some have rested more than necessary, but that is fixable. Only Titriyski has a slight problem, with which he returned from the USA," Simeonov shared.

He emphasized the importance of joint training with the men's and B national teams: "The conditions in Samokov are excellent. The young players will see what they need to catch up on. This will motivate them. Many friendly matches await us - an important part of building the team."

Simeonov is aware of the importance of the upcoming matches:
"Spain is a team we have the most information about - we have watched their matches. We know less about Norway and the Netherlands, but we rely on our statistician. There are no easy matches, especially in this age group. I hope we grow together as a team and qualify."

BFV unifies the preparation of men's formations

This summer, the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation introduced a new approach - all men's national teams, with the exception of those under 16, are training in one place. The goal is to create continuity and better coordination between the different age groups.

Bulgarian volleyball fans will have the opportunity to support the country's young hopes directly from the stands in Samokov. With a lot of drive, talent and ambition, the "lion cubs" will try to confidently advance towards EuroVolley 2026.