The management of the National Volleyball League – Men continues its consistent policy in support of young Bulgarian volleyball players. At the last meeting of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, a new rule was adopted, which aims to provide more playing minutes for local talents and facilitate their transition from junior to senior age.

🔹 Young players enter the Premier League

Starting from the 2025/2026 season, each Premier League club will have the right to use up to two players who are registered in efbet Super Volley and were born in 2007 or 2008. Thus, senior youth players, who rarely get a chance to play in the elite, will be able to gain valuable experience and playing practice in a strong and competitive environment.

Clubs from the third level of men's volleyball will also be able to take advantage of this opportunity, which expands the scope of the new initiative.

🔹 Zhelev: "We must make way for the young"

"We have talented boys, but they need more opportunities for development. The level in efbet Super Volley is too high for them at this stage, and they don't get enough playing time. The Premier League, which has been developing excellently in recent years, will give them a chance to improve, build their mentality, and confidence," said Zhivko Zhelev, president of the NVL-Men.

According to him, this is a crucial stage in the development of young volleyball players:

"The most significant leap is precisely between juniors and seniors – not everyone manages to make it. Our task is to help them pass through this level and remain in big volleyball."

🔹 Fewer foreigners, more Bulgarians

Zhelev further emphasized that the long-term goal of the NVL is to increase the number of quality Bulgarian players to reduce dependence on foreigners in the championship:

"God willing, in 3-4 years we will reach a point where we can reduce the quota for foreigners to two. For now, this is not possible due to the small number of prepared Bulgarians. Therefore, we must be patient and seek all options to develop young players."

The new rule is a clear sign of consistency and vision in the management of Bulgarian club volleyball – a focus on local talents, a perspective for national teams, and a pursuit of sustainable sports development.
We recall that Bulgaria's successes in youth and junior ranks include a dozen achievements, including European and World titles, but subsequently very few of these talents don the national jersey at the senior level.

photo: NVL