Until today, it seemed almost certain – Slobodan Kovac was set to take over the Turkish national volleyball team. The Serbian specialist was close to an agreement with the Turkish Volleyball Federation, as both sides had finalized most of the contract parameters. But as often happens in sports, everything changed at the last minute.

As Meridian Sport reports, negotiations failed at their very end due to discrepancies in the final financial details. The Turks were unwilling to increase their offer, and Kovac made no concessions. As a result, instead of signing the long-awaited contract, the parties parted ways without an agreement.

Turkey quickly changes course: Radostin Stoychev on the horizon

With the failure of plan A, Turkey immediately turned to plan B, which includes a well-known name on the European volleyball scene – Rado Stoychev. The Bulgarian specialist is currently the head coach of the Turkish club Halkbank, which facilitates his potential recruitment to lead the national team. The Turkish team includes strength and conditioning coach Tsvetel in Ivanov, who left Verona weeks after Stoychev resigned from the Italian Cup finalist.

According to the information, the federation has already started concrete talks with the 53-year-old Bulgarian, who is known for his discipline and ambition. For Stoychev, this would be a chance to return to the highest level in national volleyball after his stint at the helm of Bulgaria in 2011-2012.

Turkey's team in turbulence

Meanwhile, the Turkish national team is going through a difficult period. In the Nations League, the team recorded only two wins – against Bulgaria and China – with a total of six losses. This is a team with talent and potential, but the lack of consistency and confident performances clearly show that changes are needed.

In view of this, a change of coach seems inevitable. It is expected to become clear in the coming days whether Rado Stoychev will be the new person who will have to put Turkey back on the path to victories and build a more stable structure.

What's next?

At this stage, everything is in the realm of dynamic negotiations. The Turkish federation has already shown that it is determined to act quickly and not waste time on lengthy procedures. If an understanding is not reached with Radostin Stoychev, there will probably be a plan C, because the preparation time before the team's next international commitments is starting to run out.