National player Dimitar Dimitrov, who played a key role in Bulgaria's 3:1 victory over Slovenia in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) tournament in Burgas, surprisingly is not among the names of players preparing for the World Championship in the Philippines in September. Despite his significant contribution to the team and his good form, the opposite hitter was dropped from head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini's plans.
Strong match against Slovenia
At the Burgas tournament, Dimitrov showed stable play, especially in the match against Slovenia, where he finished second in scoring after Alex Nikolov, scoring 11 points - 7 from attack and an impressive 4 from block.
| Name | Position | Total points | Attack points | Block points | Serve points | Errors | Efficiency % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. Dimitrov | Opposite (O) | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | — | 11.76% |
His play helped Bulgaria add 14.65 points to the world ranking, temporarily climbing to 14th place.
In the next matches of the Bulgarian team against Turkey and Ukraine, Dimitrov's role was significantly reduced. Against Turkey, he started from the bench and finished with a modest 2 points. In the match with Ukraine, he was used only for 3 serves, finishing with -33.33% efficiency due to one service error.
| Name | Position | Serve points | Errors | Successful serves | Total serves | Efficiency % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. Dimitrov | Opposite (O) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -33.33% |
After these matches, Dimitrov was not called up for the tournament in Gdansk, even though he remained at the camp in Samokov until the team's departure for Poland. According to him, the selector's argument was that the team would experiment with a new scheme – with three receivers and five "outside hitters."
First-person explanation
In a conversation with volleyweek.bg, Dimitrov revealed his point of view on the situation:
"I joined the first camp in Samokov a little later, after the end of a strong season in France. Even then, I told the coach: 'Coach, I am 100% motivated to be in the national team, even though I could be with my little princess on the beach (the national player has a 6-month-old daughter – editor's note). I am here for you to make me better.' I have full motivation to be part of the national team. I could have refused and dedicated myself to my family, but I didn't."
"I am disappointed that I was not included in the squad for Gdansk and the World Championship. I believe I showed the necessary readiness. I do not fully share the staff's views, but I accept them as a professional."
Dimitrov was instructed to remain available until August 30, when the final decision on the squad would be made. This creates the impression that the staff had foreseen a possible backup option in case of an unforeseen situation.
It is puzzling why Dimitar Dimitrov – the best scorer in the domestic championship with 750 points for CSKA and a player with two strong seasons in France, where he was about to sign for a third year with Montpellier, which in itself speaks to his class – was given a secondary role in the national team.
Alternative on standby
The official BFV website indicates that 13 players have started preparations for the World Championship, with Venislav Antov and Alexander Nikolov being relied on for the opposite position. Meanwhile, awaiting a possible call-up, Dimitrov continues to maintain his form – including through participation in a beach volleyball tournament in Primorsko, where he and Georgi Petrov took fourth place. Dimitrov is expected to enter the indoor hall next week when the Sofia teams begin preparations for the upcoming season.
Given his stated readiness and demonstrated qualities, only questions remain: will Dimitrov be given another chance? And if not –are we not too easily giving up on one of the few stable scorers in the national team?
