The vice-champions of the Men's Volleyball World Championship in Manila, along with their coach Gianlorenzo Blengini, received today their deserved recognition — awards for "Team of the Month" and "Coach of the Month" in the traditional poll of Press Club "Bulgaria". The success, which became a nationwide celebration, was unanimously appreciated by all 29 participating sports editorial offices.

The national teams' coordinator Nikolay Ivanov and the men's team manager Stefan Cholakov attended the ceremony. The special plaque was presented by Danail Kanev, Commercial Manager of "Sun System", and the Italian specialist also received the traditional "Golden Tricolor" badge.

Gianlorenzo Blengini: "Every match is new proof"

Blengini thanked for the recognition and expressed regret that the players could not attend:

"The main heroes are the players. Without them, this medal would not exist. I also thank the federation for the conditions created for preparation."

The coach emphasized that he is already thinking about 2026 and that the most important thing is for the team not to become complacent after winning the silver:

"We must continue as if we haven't won anything. You have to prove yourself in every match, because praise can mislead you."

According to him, the main goal remains qualification for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, regardless of the medal in Manila:

"Even without this distinction, we would have had the same goal — to qualify for the Games, either through the European Championship, the World Championship, or the ranking."

Nikolay Ivanov: "Now is the time for the state to help with children and infrastructure"

The national teams' coordinator Nikolay Ivanov spoke with emotion about the effect of the historical success:

"Expectations are now two or three times greater. But the best thing is that so many children want to play volleyball. This is an incentive for coaches, clubs, and the federation."

He revealed that just a week ago, 150 children gathered in Kranevo, wanting to train volleyball, and urged the authorities to invest:

"Now is the time for the state to think about the youth. We have a crying need for infrastructure for daily use. Without the state's involvement, the shortage of sports halls cannot be overcome."

Ivanov also praised Blengini for his international contacts, thanks to which friendly matches with leading teams were organized, something that will continue in the future.

Stefan Cholakov: "After years of disappointments, we are back on top"

The national team manager Stefan Cholakov recalled that exactly 10 years ago he also attended a similar ceremony, when Plamen Konstantinov was the coach:

"After 2015, things went downhill. There were disappointments, coaches were changed, but all of them contributed to today's success." "The rivalry between Sofia and Varna for hosting the European Championship is unpleasant, but a decision was made in the name of great interest."

A look at the 2026 European Championship

The next major forum is the 2026 European Championship, which Sofia will host. Blengini described the Bulgarian group as "the most competitive", including Poland, Portugal, Ukraine, Israel, and North Macedonia.

We need to face strong opponents to see where we stand and to prepare for the battles ahead,

commented Ivanov.

Blengini added:

From my experience in Italy, I know - even when you win, you shouldn't change anything. You just need to become even better.

Coach's final words

In conclusion, Gianlorenzo Blengini emphasized that he believes in the individual qualities of the players, not in national characteristics:

I am proud to work with such people in Bulgaria. We have a young, promising team – it's no coincidence that we were the youngest team in the tournament at the World Championship.

The awards from Pressclub "Bulgaria" were not just a recognition of success, but a symbol of the revival of Bulgarian volleyball. From now on, however, as Blengini said, the hardest part is yet to come – to stay at the top as if you haven't been there before.photo: