The five Bulgarian volleyball players who will play in the Italian SuperLega in the 2026/27 season are starting to join their club teams after Bulgaria's participation in EuroVolley 2026 ends.
Georgi Tatarov will be the first of the national team players to return to his club duties. The outside hitter is expected to join Allianz Milano on Friday, September 25. This was personally confirmed by the team's head coach, Guillermo Falasca. "Now the players are starting to arrive. Tatarov comes on Friday, then Simon will arrive, and for the Belgians, we are waiting to find out when they will return," said the Spanish specialist.
Tatarov's earlier inclusion in the preparation is logical, also given the few playing minutes he received during the European Championship. Milano is already entering the main part of its preparation, with the first friendly match on September 30 against Modena.
The Nikolov brothers in Civitanova on Monday
Alexander and Simeon Nikolov are expected to join Cucine Lube Civitanova on Monday, September 28. The club's sports director, Marko Podraščanin, announced that six more volleyball players, returning after commitments with their national teams, will arrive in Civitanova then.
As early as September 22, Lube announced that the two national team players who finished their participation in NORCECA – Jackson Howe and Eric Loeppky – as well as the five club volleyball players who were eliminated in the EuroVolley round of 16, would join the team next week. Among them are Alexander and Simeon Nikolov. Maxim Tonkonog is already in Civitanova, which explains the six players Podraščanin expects on Monday.
Thus, by Tuesday morning, Giampaolo Medei should have 12 out of a total of 14 volleyball players from the first squad. The only ones who will join later are the Italian national team players Fabio Balaso and Mattia Bottolo.
Velichkov and Iliya Petkov also leave on Monday
On Monday, Jasmin Velichkov and Iliya Petkov are also expected to join their new club, Vero Volley Monza. The two Bulgarian national team players are part of Monza's selection for the new season and will begin training with the team after the rest they received following Bulgaria's elimination by Germany in the EuroVolley 2026 round of 16.
Thus, by the beginning of next week, all five Bulgarians in the Italian elite will be with their club teams. Tatarov starts work with Milano on Friday, while Alexander and Simeon Nikolov in Civitanova and Jasmin Velichkov and Iliya Petkov in Monza join on Monday.
