The Bulgarian Supercup (October 18–19) might become a tournament without Levski Sofia's national team players. The reason is a letter from FIVB, which introduces a mandatory rest period for players who participated in the World Championships – until October 6 for women and October 20 for men.

The rule is strict for international transfers: FIVB will not issue International Transfer Certificates (ITCs) before the respective dates. However, for domestic championships, the international federation has no direct control – it only invites national federations to impose the same break. Thus, whether the national team players will be able to play in the Supercup depends entirely on the decision of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation (BVF).

What this means for Levski

Levski Sofia is the only club among the Supercup participants with national team players in its squad:

• Stoil Palev – setter

• Damyan Kolev – starting libero

• Dimitar Dobrev – libero

If the BVF applies FIVB's recommendation, Levski will be deprived of its first setter and main libero. If, however, it does not impose a restriction for domestic tournaments, "the Blues" will be able to use their full squad.

The delicate balance

BVF President Lyubomir Ganev is part of FIVB's governing bodies, which makes the situation even more sensitive. At the same time, Levski is among the strongest clubs in Bulgaria, and Vlado Nikolov's influence in Bulgarian volleyball is enormous – it is logical for the club to insist that the national team players be on the court.

What FIVB's letter states

"FIVB imposes a mandatory break, prohibiting players who participated in the World Championships from receiving an International Transfer Certificate before the start of the club season – October 6, 2025, for women and October 20, 2025, for men.
We ask national federations to apply the same principle to their players participating in domestic championships.
The health and well-being of our athletes must be our top priority."
— Hugh McCutcheon, FIVB Secretary General

The 2025 Supercup might turn out to be not only a sporting clash but also a test for volleyball diplomacy in Bulgaria – whether FIVB's international stance will prevail or the interests of the strongest club.