In the popular showAfter Hours – La SuperLega at nightviewers saw in one place Bulgaria's national team coach Gianlorenzo Blengini and Vero Volley Monza's outside hitter Martin Atanasov – two people whose paths cross not only on the court but also in the idea of a new beginning in Bulgarian volleyball.
Atanasov: Italy is a place that makes you grow
For Martin Atanasov, the 2025/26 season is his first in SuperLega.
The Bulgarian national team player does not hide his excitement about competing in the strongest league in the world.
“To play in Italy is a privilege,” he says. “Every match is at the highest level, every point is difficult. I feel this is the right moment for me.”
After years spent in Turkey, Russia, France, and Germany, Atanasov admits that here, the pace and attention to detail are different. “In Italy, every ball matters. The players are intelligent, the teams – prepared to perfection. This is a place that makes you grow.”
In Monza, he feels at home. The team is young, ambitious, and cohesive, but according to him, it has not yet unleashed its full potential. “We lost a few matches we could have won. But I believe in the guys. We work hard, and I know we will show our better side.”
Asked what most throws his national team coach off balance, Atanasov smiles:
“Kiko doesn’t tolerate direct errors. If the ball flies at 120 km/h and you don’t even try to get it – that infuriates him. All summer, we trained exactly this – not to give up on a single ball. And that made us better.”
Blengini: Bulgaria attracted me with the challenge, not with comfort
For Gianlorenzo Blengini, former coach of Italy and Olympic silver medalist, the Bulgarian adventure begins with risk, but also with inspiration. “Many thought I was crazy when I accepted. But I was attracted by the idea of building something from scratch, not just managing a ready-made team. I knew several of the players from the time they competed for the country’s youth teams (Bulgaria, editor’s note) – I observed them then, while in Italy I was responsible for the development of youngsters. I knew these boys had potential and character.”
Two years later, the result is impressive – Bulgaria, from 20th in the world, is now in the Top 10, and the silver medal from the World Championship touched the hearts of thousands.
“The welcome home was something unforgettable. To see people in the streets crying with joy… that is stronger than any sports result. These boys became heroes because they are hardworking and well-mannered – true people.”
The Italian speaks calmly, but his words carry the weight of a person who has led teams to finals and knows what emotional control means.
“The greatest pressure is in matches when you can lose everything. Then you must maintain balance and pass it on to the players. After we overturned the USA from 0:2, we had to remain cool-headed. Finals are not won with energy alone – they are won with composure.”
“True finesse comes after years, but these boys are seeking it now”
Blengini does not hide that the young generation of Bulgarian volleyball players has surprised him with their attitude.
“I didn’t find a single lazy player,” he says. “Everyone wants to change, to improve. They work on defense, on saves in difficult situations, on the ‘dirty work’. Ganev likes to say that true finesse in the game comes after thirty years, but these boys already want to know when and how to apply it. This very spirit builds the future.”
His words contain a mixture of pride and respect – both for tradition and for the new generation that is already looking the world in the eye.
Bulgaria and Italy – one and the same passion
The meeting of Blengini and Atanasov inAfter Hoursshowed two sides of the same story – of people who connect two worlds through their love for volleyball.
One – a coach who found inspiration in Bulgaria. The other – a player who seeks perfection in Italy.
And in the words of both, the same message resonates:
success comes not only from technique and tactics, but from people who believe in each other.
