Pasay City, Philippines.A historic day for Bulgarian volleyball! The Bulgarian national team qualified for the final of the Men's Volleyball World Championship in the Philippines after defeating Czechia with3:1 (25:20, 23:25, 25:21, 25:22)in the first semifinal, played in Pasay City in front of nearly 8000 spectators. This is only thesecond final in our history, after the "Lions" won silver in Sofia back in 1970.

A victory of character and class

The Bulgarian team, led by Gianlorenzo Blengini, once again showed maturity and composure in key moments. After a convincing start and winning the first set, our team allowed an equalizer, but reacted like a great team – stable play in attack, excellent organization in defense and block, as well as decisive points in critical moments brought success in the next two sets and a spot in the final.

The stars shone brightly again

As throughout the entire championship, today tooAleksandar Nikolovwas the leader on the court – powerful attacks, decisive aces, and composure under pressure.Alex GrozdanovandMartin Atanasovdominated at the net with key blocks, while the youngSimeon Nikolovled the attacks with confidence, characteristic of an experienced setter. SubstitutePreslav Petkovalso performed excellently, bringing freshness and stability to the center.

A look at the final

With the historic success over the Czech Republic, Bulgaria secured at least a silver medal and a chance to write a new golden page in its history. The opponent for the title will become clear after the second semi-final match between the reigning world championItalyand the European championPoland.

🏐 Отборна статистика

Comment:Bulgaria outperformed Czechia in almost all key elements of the game. The difference in attack (56 vs 49) shows our team's higher efficiency in scoring points. Blocking also played an extremely important role –12 successful blocks vs 7, which was one of the decisive factors for success. Serve was also a weapon – eight aces against four for the opponent.

🔎 Individual statistics by element

Comment:Czechia won the battle in defense with 71 digs against 61 for Bulgaria, but better reception and more effective setting allowed our team to control the rhythm of the game. Bulgaria was more stable on first touch and more precise in organizing attacks.

⭐ Top scorers

Comment:Heroic match forAleksandar Nikolov, who scored an impressive31 points– absolute leader on the court and a key factor for Bulgaria's qualification for the final. Captain Alex Grozdanov also performed excellentlyAlex Grozdanovwith 12 points, including crucial blocks. For the Czech Republic, the most dangerous was Lukas Vashina with 17 points, the volleyball player with Bulgarian roots Yan Galabov added 13, but they were not enough.

The victory happened in front of the eyes of former national team captain Vladimir Nikolov, whose sons are making a splash at this championship. Their mother - Maya - is also here.

🏆 Summary

Bulgaria showed higher class in key elements and demonstrated depth and character. Strong serving, stable blocking and Nikolov's stellar performance led the team to their second final in history. Now the 'Lions' are just one win away from their greatest triumph –the world title! 🇧🇬🔥


Comment:The victory is not just a sporting success – it is proof of the growth of the new generation and the potential of this squad to attack the top. Bulgaria is already in the final and will have the opportunity to fight for its first world title. The historical moment is here – and "the Lions" are ready to seize it. 🏆🇧🇬

Photos: Nikolay Varadinov