Pain from the way Bulgaria let Germany slip away, but also belief that this young national team has a future. This united the words of the volleyball players and head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini after the dramatic elimination in the 1/8-finals of EuroVolley 2026.
The 'Lions' took a 2-0 lead in sets and were just a step away from a place among the top eight, but Germany turned the match around to 3-2. In the analysis after the match, almost everyone from the Bulgarian camp pointed to the same turning point – the Germans increased the risk on their serve, while Bulgaria gradually lost the effectiveness of its serve, and with it, control of the match.
"We lacked strength and energy. I felt myself getting heavy. First, I had 5 aces without errors, but after that, I didn't make even one. I can't say the reason. Maybe we got exhausted against Poland," admitted Aleksandar Nikolov.
For him, the defeat brought a painful end to two special weeks in Sofia.
"A disappointing end, but this championship was a unique journey. It ended a little before what everyone expected. I'm glad we experienced all of this. Hopefully, we'll have a few more chances to play here again, in this hall," added Nikolov.
Martin Atanasov was even more emphatic about the magnitude of the missed opportunity.
"We missed the chance to win 3-0. There was more pressure. We made many mistakes, the Germans started playing well and handled all the balls. They started serving well. Our serve didn't go in," said the experienced outside hitter.
Captain Alex Grozdanov also saw the key to the turnaround precisely in Germany's serve and the subsequent pressure on the Bulgarian side.
"We had the match in our hands, but we didn't hold onto it. Small details decided things. They took risks. We couldn't withstand the pressure and their serve. At one point, they made brutal serving runs and that shook us," commented Grozdanov.
Asparuh Asparuhov dismissed the possibility that Bulgaria had decided too early that the match was already won.
"I don't think we relaxed or thought anything of the sort. It was clear to all of us that the match wouldn't be easy. As you saw, in the first two sets, we dominated them quite well. Then, our game just didn't work out," said the outside hitter.
His analysis also came down to the serve: "We couldn't place a good serve at all, and that's where the difference came from. The Germans started taking a lot of risks on their serve from the very beginning."
Gianlorenzo Blengini's assessment was similar. The Italian pointed to the third set as the moment when the character of the match changed.
"Our opponent raised their level, took some serious risks – mainly on serve and in attack – and put us under pressure, as they had nothing left to lose. I think we lost a bit mentally there. We lost concentration and quick thinking in some important moments," admitted the coach.
Blengini refused to point out any specific decisions he would change immediately after the last point. He emphasized that the analysis of the team's performance and individual players would be done by the staff with a clear head.
Amidst the huge disappointment, however, there was another topic – the emergence of new young players who showed they could be part of the national team's future.
Aleksandar Nikolov specifically mentioned Denislav Bardarov and Zhasmin Velichkov.
"Two new stars shone in the national team. Let's hope they will bring us joy for a long time to come. Hopefully, they will develop as quickly as possible in their clubs," said Nikolov.
Blengini also noted the inclusion of new young players, which increases the squad's depth, as one of the important steps taken during the summer.
And Asparuhov looked even further beyond the lost 1/8-final.
"We will try to continue to develop, for the team to grow and to be more and more convincing and consistent. After all, we are doing it for an entire country that we love very much."
Bulgaria leaves EuroVolley 2026 much earlier than hoped after the emotions in Sofia and the victory over Poland. The way the end came makes the defeat even heavier – a 2:0 lead against Germany turned into 2:3, and instead of the dreamed-of new clash with the Poles in the quarterfinals, elimination followed.
But behind the disappointment remains the other picture from these two weeks – the full hall in Sofia, the young players who were given a significant role, and a team that now knows how small the line can be between a great victory and a painful elimination.
The next opportunity for this squad to show what it has learned will be in 2027 – first in the Nations League, and then at the World Championship.