The 2025/26 season in Italy will not only be interesting in the elite SuperLega
— the second tier, Serie A2 Credem Banca, will also have a strong Bulgarian presence.
A total of five national team players from the Bulgarian men's team and one youth national team player will face each other in a series of matches that we can rightfully call 'Bulgarian derbies'.
🇧🇬 Bulgarians in Serie A2
| Team | Bulgarian Representatives | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Banca Macerata Fisiomed MC | Rusi Zhelev, Denis Karyagin | National Team – Men |
| Consar Ravenna | Samuil Valchinov, Hristiyan Dimitrov | National Team – Men |
| Romeo Sorrento | Preslav Petkov | National Team – Men |
| Campi Reali Cantù | Nikolay Ivanov | Youth National Team |
Six Bulgarians, distributed across four clubs
— a rare and encouraging sight. An additional boost comes from the presence of the grandson of legend Dimitar Zlatanov - Manuel, who will keep company with Sami Valchinov and Hristiyan Dimitrov in Ravenna.
🏐 Bulgarian Derbies – Autumn 2025 / Winter 2026
(times are listed in Italian and Bulgarian time)
| ANDATA – Autumn 2025 / Early 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time (Italy) | Time (Bulgaria) | Home Team | Guest | Round |
| 26.10.2025 (Sun) | 18:00 | 19:00 | Banca Macerata Fisiomed MC | Consar Ravenna | 2nd Matchday First Leg |
| 09.11.2025 (Sun) | 18:00 | 19:00 | Banca Macerata Fisiomed MC | Romeo Sorrento | 4th Matchday First Leg |
| 16.11.2025 (Sun) | 19:00 | 20:00 | Campi Reali Cantù | Consar Ravenna | 5th Matchday First Leg |
| 30.11.2025 (Sunday) | 18:00 | 19:00 | Romeo Sorrento | Consar Ravenna | 7th Matchday First Leg |
| 07.12.2025 (Sunday) | 18:00 | 19:00 | Romeo Sorrento | Campi Reali Cantù | 9th Matchday First Leg |
| 04.01.2026 (Sunday) | 18:00 | 19:00 | Banca Macerata Fisiomed MC | Campi Reali Cantù | 13th Matchday First Leg |
Concentration of "Bulgarian" clashes at the end of autumn
— particularly important are two home matches for Macerata (09.11 and 04.01), as well as Ravenna's visit to Cantù on 16.11, where an evenly matched game is expected due to a clash of styles.
🏐Bulgarian Derbies – Spring 2026
| Second Leg – Spring 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time (Italy) | Time (Bulgaria) | Home Team | Guest | Round |
| 18.01.2026 (Sun) | 18:00 | 19:00 | Consar Ravenna | Banca Macerata Fisiomed MC | 2nd Return Matchday |
| 01.02.2026 (Sun) | 16:00 | 17:00 | Romeo Sorrento | Banca Macerata Fisiomed MC | 4th Return Matchday |
| 08.02.2026 (Sun) | 18:00 | 19:00 | Consar Ravenna | Campi Reali Cantù | 5th Return Matchday |
| 01.03.2026 (Sun) | 16:00 | 17:00 | Consar Ravenna | Romeo Sorrento | 7th Return Matchday |
| 08.03.2026 (Sun) | 17:30 | 18:30 | Campi Reali Cantù | Romeo Sorrento | 9th Return Gameday |
| 29.03.2026 (Sun) | 18:00 | 19:00 | Campi Reali Cantù | Banca Macerata Fisiomed MC | 13th Return Gameday |
In the spring cycle, the derbies are evenly distributed from January to the end of March. The two early afternoon matches at 16:00 (01.02 and 01.03) deviate from the "classic" 18:00 slot and are important for television scheduling. The final highlight is on 29.03 with Cantù – Macerata, potentially with playoff implications.
Of particular interest is the first match – Macerata against Ravenna (October 26), where four Bulgarian national team players will be on the court.
🔍 Why Serie A2 is important for Bulgarian volleyball
Serie A2 is not just a step below the elite, but a real platform for the development of national players.
Italian clubs operate with a high tactical culture, and Bulgarians there are not just statistics – they are leaders, starters, and captains of their teams.
For the national team coach Gianlorenzo Blengini, this championship is a natural "indicator" of the players' form and progress.
📺All Serie A2 matches with Bulgarian participation will be available to viewers in Bulgaria on VBTV, which will broadcast live selected matches from the rounds, as well as recordings of all "Bulgarian derbies". The channel has already confirmed that it will offer full media coverage of the 2025/26 season, including studio commentary and analysis after each weekend.
