Bulgarian derby opens the season in Italy – the national team player leads Civitanova against Tatarov and Petkov

The first round of the Italian Serie A1 will feature a Bulgarian derby – on Monday, October 20 at 8:30 PM, Lube Civitanova hosts Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina in the Eurosuole Forum hall.
On one side of the net will be Alex Nikolov, the national team star and World Championship silver medalist, and on the other – his national team teammates Georgi Tatarov and Iliya Petkov.

In an interview for the Lube Civitanova club website, Nikolov talks about the upcoming season, the emotions after an unforgettable summer with Bulgaria, and his desire to repay the club that believed in him even as a teenager.

“It's important to know how to start over”

“I had a very busy and emotional summer. The season with Bulgaria was exhausting, but also incredibly inspiring. I'm still not sure I've fully recovered my strength, as the rest after the World Championship was short, but mentally I'm ready. For us athletes, it's important to be able to start over – both after difficult moments and after euphoria like that of the World Championship. Now my thoughts are entirely focused on Lube!”, shares Nikolov.

“At Lube, I will attack with even more confidence”

Lube starts the season with a tactical scheme that Alex Nikolov knows perfectly — with three receivers, a variant used by Gianlorenzo Blengini in the Bulgarian national team during the World Championship. It was in this setup that the young Bulgarian fully unleashed his attacking potential, and the team's current coach Giampaolo Medei intends to develop the same model in the club championship.

“I'm glad that Gianlorenzo Blengini gave me the opportunity to show my attacking qualities – this is what I do best and what I want to show at Lube. Giampaolo Medei also believes in this scheme and gives me the opportunity to play more freely in the offensive phase. I, along with my teammates in this position, want to make the most of it!”, says Alex with a smile.

The three-receiver scheme was already used by Lube in the first match of the Jesi Volley Cup tournament against Allianz Milano, in which the Civitanova team lost 0:3.

“I owe a lot to Lube – I want to repay their trust with victories”

“I owe a great deal to this club, to the owners, to the management, and to the coaching staff. They believed in me even after I returned from the college championship in the USA. When I step onto the court, I want to show something special to justify their trust. I'm proud to wear this jersey and that we have such fans – they inspire us and make us believe in every victory!”, adds Nikolov.

“If anyone thinks a Bulgarian at Lube doesn't feel the pressure of the clash with Grottazzolina, they are mistaken! This is a derby with character and history. Such matches are always played with emotion and won with desire and heart. I can't wait to hear the first whistle and hope to see many red jerseys in the stands!”, Alex states emphatically.

Lube enters the new season with a revamped squad but with the same ambition – to bring the title back to Civitanova. Alex Nikolov, who finished the World Championship with an average of over 20 points per match, is ready to be a leading scorer in Serie A1 as well.
The match against Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina will be not just an opening match, but a Bulgarian derby, because on the other side of the net will stand Georgi Tatarov and Iliya Petkov – two of Nikolov's teammates from the national team.

Just a week ago, the two teams met in the Jesi Volley Cup, where Grotta won third place, defeating Lube.

Back then, however, the Coppa Italia holder's squad was missing national team players Fabio Balaso, Mattia Bottolo, Giovanni Gargiulo, and Alex Nikolov.

📅 Lube Civitanova – Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina
🕗 Monday, October 20, 9:30 PM
Eurosuole Forum, Civitanova Marche

Photos: Nikolay Varadinov