After Bulgaria's dramatic 3:2 victory over Slovenia in Group E of the World Championship in the Philippines, the leader of the national teamAleksandar Nikolovshared his first impressions. Here's what he told the media after the match:
– Alex, congratulations on the victory! What happened after the second set?
– Thank you! To be honest – after the second set, I personally failed to play two consecutive balls, which I am absolutely obliged to do as someone who has been playing at this level for three years. One of them was particularly striking. This gave momentum to the Slovenians, who were already on the verge of giving up in the third set. Unfortunately, I gave them a chance, and I'm sorry for that. I'm glad that in the end, we managed to win, because I wouldn't have forgiven myself for such a blunder on my part. Luckily, I managed to make amends at the end of the tie-break. I want to emphasize that the victory belongs to the entire team, not just one person. In the last part, our defense was at a much higher level; we covered each other and helped each other out. I think that was the difference.
– What would you wish for the knockout stage?
– I won't wish for a specific opponent, because that always confuses us. The important thing is that we have already qualified. But there's still one more match, and it's very important.
– There won't be any underestimation in the last match against Chile, right?
– Of course not. This is a match that will determine first or second place in the group. Today I watched Chile – they are a typical Latin American team: fast and uncomfortable to play against, they can surprise you if you're not concentrated. I believe we will be careful, and today's match should be a lesson for us after the oscillations in the third and fourth sets. In theory, it's not fatal, but for the ranking, it will be tough if we lose to Chile – that's over 20 points lost. We have accumulated a certain advantage in the world ranking, so it's important to go out and win.
– It seems it's still not clear who our opponents from the other group will be; we thought it would be USA or Cuba?
– It's not certain because Portugal defeated Cuba, and now we have three options. Portugal is certainly a team that hasn't played in the Nations League in recent years and has fewer high-level matches. This doesn't mean they are weaker, but their experience is less.
– Good luck!
– Thank you!
