Bulgaria experienced one of its strongest evenings at EuroVolley 2026. In front of over 13,000 spectators at "Arena 8888 Sofia", the national team defeated the European champion Poland with3:2 (20:25, 31:29, 25:23, 19:25, 20:18)after a true volleyball battle. The success came after trailing 0:1 and numerous comebacks, and after the last point, Gianlorenzo Blengini and the players spoke mostly about character, concentration, and the immense energy from the stands. The victory is now behind them, and there will be time for the next challenge – this evening belonged to the success over Poland.

Gianlorenzo Blengini: "Against such a team, you don't get any gifts"

Bulgaria's coach Gianlorenzo Blengini emphasized the consistency that the national team managed to maintain for most of the tough five-set match.
"It was an exceptional battle. A very difficult, very tough match against, if not the strongest, then one of the strongest. This is the team that won the last competition, the Nations League, so it was extremely important for us to maintain the highest possible level throughout. Because when you play against such a team, they don't give you anything."
Blengini pointed to the fourth set as the best example of how small the margin is against an opponent of Poland's class.
"If you relax a little, they punish you immediately, as happened in the fourth set, when we had a dip, mostly in terms of attack, and that immediately had an impact."
For the Italian specialist, the value of such a match is not exhausted only by the final result. He sees in it an important step in the team's development.
"This is the most important thing for our team, which continues to be in a process of development, of growth. It is through such matches, through enduring as long as possible, maintaining concentration and their highest possible level of performance that their development will be achieved. So congratulations for coping, and we look forward to the next match."

Aleksandar Nikolov: "With the second set, we turned the match around"

Aleksandar Nikolov once again took on huge responsibility in attack and finished the match with36 points. For him, the key to victory was the dramatic second set, won by Bulgaria with 31:29.
"I am extremely happy after such a victory. An epic match. Everyone felt the energy. A big bravo to the team and every spectator who came here or supported us in front of the screen."
"With the second set, we turned the match around. Our true game was seen, and I am very happy."
Nikolov also summarized what he believes Bulgaria needs to play at this level:
"If we play like this, we can beat everyone. We have to play with blood. The most important thing is heart."
He paid special attention to his brother Simeon and the several extremely important saves by the setter in defense:
"Moni played more with heart, not with technique. That lifts the team a lot, especially when we were down in the tie-break. Moni played better than any libero."

Simeon Nikolov: "Today my defense worked out"

It was the defensive play that was also Simeon Nikolov's focus after the last point. The setter admitted that in some situations, desire was more important than technique.
"It's a fact that when you're not able to play defense, you can compensate with desire and heart. Today my defense worked out. For the audience – I can say thank you a thousand times. The gratifying thing is that the things we trained for worked out."
Simeon Nikolov specifically singled out two of his teammates:
"I'm very happy for Bardarov, he got us out of a lot of situations. Martin Atanasov – also."
According to him, the atmosphere in "Arena 8888" gave Bulgaria a serious advantage against one of the strongest teams in the world.
"It's a fact that the Poles have the best team in the world. We have the advantage of being at home. All teams are suppressed here. When you have 13 thousand spectators behind you, it's quite difficult for the opponent."

Denislav Bardarov: "This is a dream come true"

One of the heroes of the night was Denislav Bardarov. He finished with24 pointsand admitted that he went through a difficult period in the fourth set before finding his game again in the decisive part.
"The feeling is unique – to defeat Poland in front of our fans. The Poles play class volleyball. I had a slump in the fourth set, but then I managed and came back in the fifth. This is a dream come true, especially at home in front of this crowd. I am happy. For me, this is my first European Championship."
And for Bardarov, the full stands were a huge factor:
"It's easier with the crowd behind you. The fans stimulate us to give even more."
But his strongest message after the victory was related to what Bulgaria had proven to itself:
"We showed our own team that we can and should believe. We must not give up and we can defeat any opponent."
The emotions after such a night cannot disappear immediately.
"Falling asleep will be difficult tonight, but I will definitely rest."

A victory that brings more than just the result

Bulgaria didn't just defeat Poland. The national team went through a lost first set, dramatically snatched the second, endured in the long five-set battle, and found the strength to close out the match against the European champion.
This is exactly where the words of Blengini and his players met -concentration, heart, character and faith.