Alex Nikolov officially issued a public apology regarding the departure of Poria, thereby practically confirming the information published earlier by us that such a move by the Bulgarian national player would follow.

As we already reported, the player had a private conversation with Beppe Cormio, during which he offered his apologies. The meeting was held in a proper tone, and both sides clarified their positions regarding the developing situation.

Nikolov was fully concentrated on the upcoming match against Padova, after which his public reaction came. With it, he practically closed the topic surrounding the case and directed his attention entirely to his performance on the court. In this difficult moment for Alex, his father, the legend Vladimir Nikolov, was by his side.

Here's what Alex Nikolov literally said:

Alex Nikolov:
"First of all, I want to apologize to all the fans and the club, especially to patron Fabio Giulianelli, for my recent comment regarding Poria's departure. My words came out instinctively because I was very bitter about the large number of unpleasant comments I read after the news of his leaving. I am sorry and I insist on apologizing. I am a Lube man and I will continue to be one. By bringing me here, patron Giulianelli gave me a huge opportunity in my life, and therefore he doesn't deserve the words I said, emphasizing again that they came out instinctively."

"The match today? Padova put up serious resistance, but in the decisive moments, we always prevailed and managed to show that we are the stronger team. Our character made the difference in our favor – a factor we very often manage to impose when we play at home."

The expectation is that the situation's development will bring calm both within the club and regarding the Bulgarian national player's future commitments in the Italian championship, with the focus once again being placed on volleyball.

Photo: Nikolay Varadinov