Miroslav Zhivkov led the men's U20 national team to the Balkan Championship title in the Serbian resort of Vrnjacka Banja. After returning to Bulgaria, the coach gave an exclusive interview to the official website of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation.

- Congratulations on the gold medals from the Balkan Championship. How would you comment on the tournament?
- An exceptional success for Bulgaria. We defeated some of the best teams in Europe. I am especially happy that we succeeded in the final against Serbia. Few defeat them on their home soil. This is an additional merit for our success. Thanks to all the boys and my staff for their professionalism and individual dedication. We achieved a very strong collective game.

- Which match was the most difficult?
- In an important tournament, there are no easy matches. I have full confidence in my players. I used different people in different matches. Each of them contributed to the success. In the group, our most difficult match was against Turkey. This is a team that has developed very quickly in recent years. In the semi-finals, we met Greece, which is a traditionally uncomfortable opponent. And the biggest charge was against the Serbs in the final.
 

- The Balkan Championship was the main part of the preparation for the European Championship. What should we expect there?
- The fact is that we had good preparation and achieved an excellent result. I am very pleased with the team. Without it, we cannot succeed. The strong team play was complemented by exceptional sports-technical individual skills of our players. By winning the Balkan Championship, we have raised the bar very high. Every opponent will be extremely focused on the matches with us. At the European Championship, there will be about ten teams with equal capabilities. The competition is great, as it is in our group. The Balkan Championship gives us confidence and a reason for joy, but we must remain firmly grounded. At the tournament in Serbia, we saw what we need to focus on to improve our game. I congratulate all the boys who won individual awards. The main competition is still ahead of us.
 

- How did you decide to include the legend Vladimir Nikolov in your staff?
- Nikolov has a huge credit for the selection and development of the Levski volleyball players, who are key in the national team. He is a person I have known for many years. He knows how to fight at the highest level and will continue to help the team.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov