Salparov before the big testimonial: These people are like Messi and Ronaldo in volleyball

One of the most successful Bulgarian volleyball players will put the symbolic end to his remarkable career with a true celebration of the game. Teodor Salparov gathers big names from different generations in Sofia for his testimonial "One Career - One Legend", which will take place tomorrow at 4:30 PM in "Arena Sofia".
A day before the show, Salparov stood before the media together with three of the stars who arrived for the event – Olympic champion from Sydney 2000 Ivan Miljković, two-time European champion with Serbia Uroš Kovačević, and former Germany setter Simon Tischer.
"I am doing this testimonial not only for myself, but for all my colleagues with whom I have played in the Bulgarian national team, and for those volleyball players with whom I have played around the world. If we have gathered so many big names, it means I was not only a good volleyball player, but also a good person," Salparov stated.

Particularly strong words for the Bulgarian libero came from Uroš Kovačević.
"Thank you, Teodor, for the invitation. Thank him for being a wonderful person. My first memory of Salparov is that he was the best defender in world volleyball," said the Serbian star.
Ivan Miljković also did not hesitate long whether to come to Sofia.
"It didn't take long from receiving the invitation to accepting it. I remember very well the previous generation of the Bulgarian national team. Salparov joined them a little later. I am happy to be here, and I hope all spectators will be satisfied with what they will see," said the Olympic champion.

Simon Tischer accepted the invitation with a certain degree of disbelief due to the scale of the event.
"I didn't need time to accept the invitation. At first, I thought it was some kind of scam. I didn't expect so many stars to play in this match. I played with Teddy in French Lyon. With the German national team, I don't have good memories of clashes with Bulgaria, because we rather lost," joked the former German international.

The testimonial will not be an ordinary exhibition match. Five sets to 15 points are planned, and the rivalry between Bulgarians and Serbs promises to add extra excitement to the show.
"For me, this will be a celebration of volleyball! Hristo Stoichkov, Stiliyan Petrov, Aleksandar Vezenkov also accepted my invitation. Krisko and Maria Ilieva will sing. In terms of organization, I think my team and I did something unique. We will play five sets to 15 points. The Balkan derby is unique. I have many Serbian friends and we have excellent relations," Salparov revealed.
Some of the legends have long since left professional sports and do not hide that their form cannot be the same.
"There's no way the people who will be on the court tomorrow will look the same as 10 years ago. I haven't touched a ball in the last 10 years. The only thing I've played in recent years is with my children," said Miljković.
Kovačević, who is still an active player, immediately replied with a smile:
"I am still an active player, so tomorrow I will try to lose a few more kilograms."

"I stopped playing volleyball eight years ago. It's hard to maintain the form from before. I'm sure tomorrow will be cool," Tischer added.
Kovačević also revealed an interesting detail about his ties to Bulgarian volleyball. The Serb has already been a teammate with Nikolay Kolev, and in the new season, he will play alongside Georgi Seganov and Kristiyan Aleksov.
"But my teammate Dušan Petković is a record holder – he has played with 15 Bulgarians," Kovačević joked.
The program around the testimonial will begin hours before the first whistle. Activities for fans are planned in front of "Arena Sofia" starting at 12:00 PM, and between 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM, fans will have the opportunity to meet and take photos with the world volleyball stars. At 4:00 PM, the event moves inside the hall, and the testimonial begins at 4:30 PM.
Salparov most accurately summarized the scale of the star presence:
"These people who come here are like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. I couldn't have dreamed of more than that. I hope tomorrow will be a wonderful celebration."
Among the official guests are expected to be the President of Bulgaria, the Mayor of Sofia, and the Minister of Youth and Sports.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov