Romanian grand Steaua Bucharest wrote a golden page in the history of its volleyball section after winning the Balkan Cup 2025! The tournament was held in the Bosnian city of Kakan, and the success secures the team's participation in the upcoming CEV Challenge Cup 2025/2026 edition, where we will see two more Bulgarians on the European stage – Krasimir Georgiev and Svetoslav Ivanov.
🇷🇴 Historical triumph for Steaua
Under the leadership of Brazilian specialist Marcelo Fronckowiak, the "red-blues" played a perfect tournament, demonstrating character, stable defense, and a great deal of class. For the first time since 2012, a Romanian team has won this competition – back then the trophy went to Universitatea Cluj.
On their way to the title, Steaua consecutively overcame three opponents:
| Match | Result | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| SC Ankara (Turkey) | 3:1 | 20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23 |
| OFI Creta (Greece) | 3:1 | 25-23, 17-25, 31-29, 27-25 |
| OK Kakanj (Bosnia and Herzegovina) | 3:0 | 25-21, 25-20, 25-20 |
The victories against the Turkish and Greek representatives demonstrated the team's mental resilience, especially in key moments. The final 3:0 success showcased the growth and confidence of the squad, which completely controlled the pace of the game.
🇧🇬 Bulgarian trace in the Romanian triumph
Two Bulgarian volleyball players shone in Steaua's squad – middle blocker Krasimir Georgiev and outside hitter Svetoslav Ivanov. Interestingly, Krasi Georgiev could face his former club Neftochimic, as the team from Burgas participates in the Challenge Cup tournament.
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| Players | Country |
|---|---|
| Alexandru Rață, Cristian Păun, Nicolas Grigorie, Răzvan Baziliuc, Claudiu Dumitru, Rareș Bălean, Ciprian Matei, Victor Asmarandei, Sergiu Filip | Romania |
| Santiago Arroyo | Argentina |
| Baetens Seppe | Belgium |
| Josef Polak | Czech Republic |
| Murilo Radke | Brazil |
| Krasimir Georgiev, Svetoslav Ivanov | Bulgaria |
Steaua's multinational squad combines experience from various volleyball schools, which explains the team's international success. The Bulgarian players fit perfectly into this ambitious project, led by a South American coach with a modern vision of the game.
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With its triumph in the Balkan Cup, Steaua secured an entry ticket to European club tournaments. In the 2025/2026 season, the team will participate in the CEV Challenge Cup, where it will face representatives from Italy, France, Turkey, and other leading volleyball nations.
In the first round of the CEV Challenge Cup, Steaua will face Khilasedichi Baku (Azerbaijan) – an opponent with less experience in international tournaments.
Steaua Bucharest's triumph is historic for both the club and Romanian volleyball. Our northern neighbor has arecord number of participants – 6 teamsin Europe. This is an unprecedented achievement for Romanian volleyball, considering that the elite division (Divizia A1) has only 11 teams – meaning more than half of the league will compete on the international stage.
And for the Bulgarian public – another reason for pride: Krasimir Georgiev and Svetoslav Ivanov will be part of the new season of European club competitions.
