The Management Board of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation has appointed a commission to interview candidates for the new head coach of the women's national team. The procedure follows the departure of Antonina Zetova and marks the beginning of a new stage in the development program for women's volleyball in Bulgaria. This was announced on the federation's website.

Three specialists have submitted their candidacies Ivan Petkov, Radoslav Arsov, and Marcello Abbondanza, with the Italian joining the race at the last minute. His late entry necessitates a slight postponement of the decision regarding the selection of the new coach.

Who will interview the candidates

The commission, which will hold talks with the three coaches, includes President Lyubomir Ganev, Vice-President Iliya Dinkov, Head of National Teams Nikolay Ivanov, and journalist Sasho Yovkov.
The four will meet with each of the candidates, with the questions being identical for all, and decisions will be based on the presented programs.
The final selection is expected to be made within a week, so that the BFV can promptly submit the necessary documents to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The new coach will need to name their staff, the extended squad, preparation plans, and scheduled friendly matches.

Ganev: The main goal is the integration of the young champions

BFV President Lyubomir Ganev outlined the vision for the development of the women's national team to the federation's website:

The goal of the women's national team is to integrate the U19 world champions, as well as the girls who finished fourth in the U21 world championship. When Abbondanza's candidacy emerged, we decided that we could speed up the process rather than thinking about the next Olympic cycle. To qualify for the Olympics, we need to work purposefully.

Ganev emphasized that the BFV wants to replicate the successful model of the men's national team, led by Italian Gianlorenzo Blengini.

We started working with Blengini in 2024, and you saw what happened with the men's team. I was convinced that a Bulgarian should lead the women's team, but Blengini showed us that with persistence and hard work, results come faster. The new women's coach needs to build a team and replicate what happened with the men. We need to think 'ball by ball'.

Upcoming challenges

In 2026, Bulgaria will participate in the Nations League, and later in the European Championship, with Ganev specifying that the group is not easy, but it is surmountable.

Anything can happen with good play. I expect each coach to clearly present their vision. Petkov and Abbondanza have already led this team. There was also interest from other foreign specialists, including another Italian, added the BFV President.

Nikolay Ivanov: We have talent that needs to be developed

The former captain of the national team and current Head of National Squads, Nikolay Ivanov, also commented to the federation's website:

It's encouraging that there's interest in the women's national team both from Bulgarians and from a specialist of Abbondanza's caliber. We have talent for whom we need to create optimal conditions. Many of these girls have taken a step, a step and a half in their development, but they haven't reached their full potential. In the next Olympic cycle, they will be between 25 and 27 years old an ideal age to give their maximum.

Ivanov also emphasized the difficult qualification process:

It's much easier to win a medal at the Olympics than to qualify for it. For the men, the process is clear; for the women, it will be more complicated due to the ranking system. The building of our team must not stop.

The selection of a new coach will be the first step in the BFV's long-term strategy for renewing the women's national team and integrating the young champions who have already brought success to Bulgaria in the junior age groups.
The new head coach will be tasked with building a team with prospects for the Nations League and the Olympic cycle leading up to Los Angeles 2028.

photo: F