Francesco Cadeddu talks about his personal and professional connection with Bulgaria, which has deep roots and has been built over decades. The reason for the interview with the official website of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation is his new tattoo – the Bulgarian lion, a symbol he chose after the national team's participation in the World Championship in the Philippines. The idea for the tattoo was born spontaneously after the victory over Germany in the first match and discussions within the staff on how to mark a potentially strong performance by the team. Cadeddu decided that the tattoo would be a lasting memory and a gesture of respect towards Bulgaria and the team.
The lion is not a random choice – it is a symbol he recognizes as the country's coat of arms and identity, something significant for every Bulgarian. For Cadeddu, this symbol summarizes his connection with Bulgaria, which began in the early 90s when he started his coaching career in Italy. At that time, a key figure for him was the Bulgarian coach Petar Krachmarov, whose methods strongly influenced young Italian specialists. His approach – both in physical and technical training – was adopted and encouraged even by the regional volleyball federation of Milan.
Over the years, Cadeddu also worked with several Bulgarian volleyball players in Italy. A special place in his story is occupied by the Cuneo club, for which he felt sympathy from his youth because of players like Kyosev and the legendary Lyubomir Ganev. He emphasizes Ganev's role as a personality who changed perceptions of the game in Italy – not only with power and technique but also with leadership, different from the models prevalent at the time.
Later, Cuneo achieved great success with another Bulgarian – Vladimir Nikolov. Cadeddu remembers the strong team, the Serie A title won in a final match (the so-called V-day in early May 2010, when Cuneo faced Trento of Kaziyski, Skolov, and Stoychev, editor's note), as well as the triumph in the CEV Cup. He attributes the successes to hard work, organization, and correct tactical decisions, including the victory over the strong Trentino team, led by Radostin Stoychev.
His relationship with Vladimir Nikolov remained excellent even after their joint work ended. It was this connection, along with conversations with Radostin Stoychev and the federation president Lyubo Ganev, that led to the invitation for Cadeddu to start working in Bulgaria in 2022 – an offer he gladly accepted.
At the end of the conversation, Cadeddu goes even further back in time – to the mid-80s, when an international youth tournament was organized in his hometown with the participation of teams like CSKA Sofia, CSKA Moscow, and Crvena Zvezda. These memories, related to his first impressions of volleyball in Eastern Europe and the role of Petar Krachmarov, definitively solidify his feeling of a long-standing, almost fated connection between his life and Bulgaria (Krachmarov is a major figure in world volleyball – his proposals for rule changes were adopted in 1998, and the current “rally scoring” format replaced the old regulations, editor's note).
The conversation portrays Cadeddu not merely as a specialist in the national team's staff but as a person whose professional and personal history is closely intertwined with Bulgarian volleyball.
Photos: screenshot and Nikolay Varadinov
