Hours before the round of 16 match against Bulgaria, Germany's coach Massimo Botti outlined the most important characteristic of the team that will face the world vice-champions in Sofia – its ability to continue fighting even when the match seems to be going in a bad direction.
The Italian specialist took over the Bundesteam at the beginning of 2026 with one of the main tasks being to build a new team identity. A few months later and after his first major tournament as a coach, Botti already believes he has found it.
"When I talked about identity, I didn't know what Germany's identity as a team was. I had to discover almost everything. Now I can certainly say that the identity of this team is not related to any technical reason. It is in the way we never give up," Botti stated in a special CEV article, published the day before Bulgaria – Germany.
It is precisely this trait that the Germans will try to show on Saturday in "Arena 8888 Sofia", when they will face Bulgaria, and the stakes are now direct elimination and a place among the top eight teams at EuroVolley 2026.

Botti has already seen Germany on the brink

The coach points to two matches that helped him understand the character of his team.
The first is the extraordinary friendly match against Italy before the European Championship, in which Germany won the first set with an incredible 66:64.
"The ability to stay in the match and continue to fight. That was a historic set and certainly a special event. Everyone will remember that moment. Given Italy's level, for us it was a great experience and a moment that will remain in our history," Botti explained.
Even more indicative for him, however, is the match against Romania in Group D in Cluj-Napoca.
Germany took a 2:0 lead, but after three tough matches in three consecutive days, physical strength began to wane. Supported by their home crowd, Romania equalized to 2:2 and sent the match into a tie-break.
"We arrived after three consecutive matches, three very tough matches. We were completely out of energy. During the match, the lights went out," Botti admitted.
Germany, however, found the strength to win.
"Somehow we managed to win. That was a huge satisfaction for us, because winning in such a situation and under such conditions was an important step forward for me."
This is precisely what Botti now defines as a distinctive feature of the German team.
"They continue to play, work hard, and continue to fight through difficulties and mistakes. For a coach, it's very nice to see this element in the team."

From middle blocker to coach

Botti's philosophy is also connected to his own career as a volleyball player.
At 196 centimeters tall, the Italian played as a middle blocker against opponents who often physically outmatched him. This forced him to compensate by reading the game and anticipating the setters' decisions.
"When I played as a middle blocker, there were certainly much taller middle blockers against me. Being smart and constantly thinking about the setters' intentions probably helped me when the time came to become a head coach."
And his conclusion is short:
"In principle, the setter should be smart."

The national team also changed Botti himself

The first summer at the helm of Germany was a new experience for the Italian himself.
After a career spent mainly in club volleyball, Botti is faced with the completely different rhythm of national teams – several matches in a matter of days and almost no time for a normal training and recovery cycle.
"In club volleyball, you never play three matches in a row, or four matches in five days, or five matches in six days, as happens here."
Therefore, for Botti, one of the key qualities of the athletes is now the ability to quickly recover their physical and mental strength.
"I don't want to talk about technique or the level of the teams, because everyone has different views. But certainly, the ability to quickly recover energy after one match for the next day is one of the most important things."
This is also one of the reasons why the coach does not rely solely on six main players. This summer, he gave opportunities to younger German volleyball players and continues to look for players who can take on greater responsibility.
"I understand when a young player can help the team when I give him the responsibility to play. It is in such a situation that I can understand if the young player can be useful."
According to Botti, German volleyball has more potential than the players currently in the national squad.
"This summer we saw many players. Germany has a good selection of players – not only in the official squad, but also around it. Certainly, some of the younger ones can help the team in the long run."

"Fight to the end, without regret"

Botti refuses to measure Germany's development solely by the final ranking at the European Championship.
"For me, the greatest satisfaction is to see my team compete and believe in their abilities and qualities."
The Italian admits that the time to build such trust in the national team is limited.
"When we are together – and we have rarely been together – we have the qualities to fight for the highest goal."
However, Botti does not make a prediction of how far Germany can go. From the round of 16 onwards, according to him, such calculations lose their meaning.
"I don't want to talk about the final result, because I don't know what will happen in the future. From the round of 16 onwards, there are many, many strong teams, and the level in Europe is incredible."
Therefore, immediately before the eliminations, he sets a much simpler task for his players:
"We must fight to the end, without regret, and accept the result on the court."
The next place where Germany needs to show this new identity is Sofia.
On Saturday, Massimo Botti's team will face the host and world vice-champion Bulgaria in a direct battle for a place in the quarterfinals of EuroVolley 2026.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov