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Lyubo Ganev: On October 14, we will decide which city will host the EuroVolley 2026 matches

Николай Варадинов

Николай Варадинов

October 9, 2025 at 14:19

Lyubo Ganev: On October 14, we will decide which city will host the EuroVolley 2026 matches

The President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, Lyubo Ganev, announced to volleyweek.bg that on October 14, at 10:00 AM, a meeting of the Managing Board of the BFV will be held, at which the final decision will be made on which Bulgarian city will host the matches of the European Men's Volleyball Championship in 2026 (EuroVolley 2026).

🏐 Sofia or Varna – the decision is pending

Bulgaria is one of the four hosts of the upcoming championship, but a change has arisen regarding the choice of host city in our country. Initially, the matches were supposed to be played in Varna, but now the option of Sofia hosting the matches is being discussed more and more seriously. The main argument is the larger capacity of "Arena Sofia" hall, which accommodates 12,500 spectators, as well as the significant investments being made in the capital in recent months.

"The proposal for relocation came from the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) and personally from Rocco Sikiric, so that more fans can watch the matches live in the hall," Ganev explained.

🏛️ Support from the municipality and anticipation of official documents

The BFV President clarified that after today's decision of the Sofia Municipal Council, which approved the partnership and financial support agreement for the federation, a few administrative steps remain:

  • official written confirmation from the Ministry of Youth and Sports is awaited,

  • as well as formal approval from CEV, which has already been given in principle.

"After that, we will have a meeting of the Managing Board, where we will make the final decision. Whatever we decide, we will not divide people. This is the national team of Bulgaria, playing for all Bulgarians. I appeal for support from all cities," Ganev stated.

👥 Why Sofia is more suitable

Ganev also gave specific arguments why the capital has an advantage:

"In every hall, there are about 2000 blocked seats for officials and delegations.
If it's in Varna – we can sell about 3000 tickets, and the danger of very few Bulgarians being able to buy tickets is great, as we all know how high the level of organized Polish fans is. This is why Sofia is more suitable, as we will have the opportunity to release up to 10,000 passes.
We want to give more fans the chance to see their favorite players live.
Let's not divide ourselves by cities – we are all Bulgarians and must support the national team."

📅 The final decision comes on October 14

"On October 14 at 10:00 AM, we will gather at a Managing Board meeting and make the conclusive decision. We have verbal confirmations from the Ministry, but we are also waiting for written ones to inform CEV. They have already told us that matches should be played in the largest possible halls, because the goal is for the matches to be in front of full stands," added the president of the federation.

🙏 Gratitude to Varna and a look to the future

"I thank Varna Municipality, which did everything possible, but now this new opportunity has arisen. We will not divide people – whether from Sofia, Varna, or Burgas. We will count on the audience for the first home matches of these boys who became world vice-champions. It is our duty to provide the fans with the best conditions," Ganev said.

🌍 Is hosting the VNL also possible?

Regarding the report of the Sofia Municipal Council concerning Sofia's possible bid to host VNL 2026, Ganev clarified:

“This can only happen if one of the already approved cities withdraws and Sofia takes its place. According to the Youth and Sports Act, a country cannot host two major competitions in one year, as the funding comes from the Ministry of Sports.”

The Bulgarian Volleyball Federation will focus its efforts on the Volleyball Nations League 2027, and possibly 2028, as the last three Olympic quotas for Los Angeles 2028 will be awarded then.

🏁 Conclusion

The decision on October 14 will determine the host of EuroVolley 2026. The choice between Sofia and Varna is a choice between scale and tradition, but also between two proven volleyball audiences. As Lyubo Ganev emphasized – we are all Bulgarians, and the national team plays for all of us.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov