The French volleyball club Chaumont (CVB52) officially terminated its cooperation with head coach Silvano Prandi. This comes after a series of difficult results for the team – 4 losses in the last 5 matches. The decision was made by mutual agreement between the management and the coach, with the heavy 0:3 loss to Saint-Nazaire, recorded days ago, undoubtedly being the final straw.
The defeat came at an extremely inopportune moment for the club, and the dismissal – just a day before Chaumont's participation in the European club tournaments (Challenge Cup) against Greek side Foinikas SYROS. Purely by coincidence, the Greeks are also coming to France with a new coach – Slobodan Praklyachich.
In its official statement, the club emphasized:
"Given the current sporting situation, CVB52 and Silvano Prandi have decided by mutual agreement to end their collaboration. The club thanks the coach for his dedication and work since his arrival in Chaumont."
Prandi's departure from the French club marks the end of an iconic 11-year era for the team – the Italian and his boys won the French title in the 2016/2017 season, the Supercup in 2017, and the French Cup in the 2021/2022 season. These successes are undoubtedly a convincing testament to the diligent work of the incredible specialist from "The Boot" at the helm of the modest Chaumont.
Silvano Prandi – "The Professor", who left a deep mark on Bulgarian volleyball as well.
Silvano Prandi's name holds a special place in the history of Bulgarian volleyball. The Italian specialist, known by the nickname "Il Professore", was head coach of the Bulgarian national team during two different periods, with the most successful undoubtedly being the European Championship in 2009 in Turkey.
Under his leadership, Bulgaria achieved a historic bronze medal, after victories over strong opponents and a demonstration of modern, disciplined, and tactically exceptionally adept volleyball. This distinction remains one of the most significant in the recent history of our men's national team.
Another key moment of his work at the helm of Bulgaria was the Olympic qualifier in Varna in 2019. The national team was at match point from qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but dramatically lost to Brazil 2:3, after leading 2:0 in sets. Bulgaria had a match point on Tsvetan Sokolov's serve but failed to convert it – a moment still remembered today as one of the most painful missed opportunities.
Prandi was last in Bulgaria at the end of 2024, when Chaumont visited Levski in the Champions League group stage.
A coaching career of European scale.
Silvano Prandi has an exceptionally rich coaching biography, including leading clubs in Italy and France, as well as national teams. He has worked in Cuneo, Modena, Trento, Macerata, and for many years in Chaumont, where he stayed for almost a decade.
Despite the current separation from the French club, Prandi's authority in the volleyball world remains undisputed – both for his club successes and for his contribution to the development of the Bulgarian national team.
The parting with Chaumont comes at a difficult moment for both sides, but for Bulgarian fans, the name Silvano Prandi will forever be associated with the medal from Euro 2009 and with that dramatic, yet proud, match in Varna, which showed that Bulgaria could be one rally away from the Olympic elite.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov, bulphoto.com and Alexandre Philippe
