A serious financial and organizational crisis is shaking Aris (Thessaloniki) just a few months after the club's return to the Greek volleyball elite. The two Bulgarians in the squad – Todor Valchev and national player Dimitar Dimitrov – are in Thessaloniki and continue training, but currently, the team has only 8-9 volleyball players.
Financial problems are now a major topic in the Greek media. According to Volleyland, Aris had reached agreements for contracts totaling around 120,000 euros, but subsequently, the club failed to secure the necessary revenue and sponsorships to cover the commitments made. Representatives of the volleyball players have already been informed about the club's inability at this stage to fulfill the agreed financial terms.
Against this background, the situation with sports training is becoming increasingly difficult. According to information fromVolleyWeek.bg, obtained firsthand, the group currently consists of only 8-9 athletes. Valchev and Dimitrov are in Thessaloniki and training with the team, but with such a limited squad, it is practically impossible to conduct full-fledged training.
However, the squad continues to shrink. Vasilis Mouchlias has already left and returned to PAOK, and according to Greek information, there are also problems with the arrival of some of the foreign players. Thus, Aris finds itself just a month before the start of the season with a group that does not allow for a normal training process.
In this situation, the future of the two Bulgarians also remains unclear. Valchev does not rule out the possibility of seeking another solution if the situation in Thessaloniki does not change. Among the options, the possibility of returning to Lokomotiv Avia, from where the outside hitter moved to Aris, could be explored. Such a move, however, seems difficult, as the Plovdiv club has already completed its squad. At the moment, there is no talk of negotiations between the two sides.

Even more unclear is what Dimitar Dimitrov will do. The opposite hitter is also in Thessaloniki and continues training, but a potential need to look for a new club would come at an extremely inconvenient time, when most European teams have already built their squads.

Dimitrov spent almost the entire summer ready for a potential call-up to the Bulgarian national team. He participated in the Silesia Cup at the beginning of the preparation, but was not called up for the Nations League afterward and was not included in Gianlorenzo Blengini's squad for EuroVolley 2026.
What is happening is even more paradoxical against the backdrop of events from just a few months ago. Another Bulgarian – Boyan Yordanov – was one of the key figures in Aris's return to the Volley League.

After achieving promotion, the experienced opposite hitter ended his active competitive career.
Just a few months later, the club that was supposed to celebrate its return among the best is once again facing an uncertain future. For Valchev and Dimitrov, time is also starting to become a factor – the closer the start of the season gets, the fewer free spots remain in the already completed teams.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov and arisvolleyball.gr