The Bulgarian men's national volleyball team, which became the world vice-champion last autumn in the Philippines, has learned the cities and pools in which it will participate in the Nations League this summer. The information was officially announced by the organizers, and at this moment the hosts, dates, and teams in the individual groups are clear, but not Bulgaria's specific opponents in each tournament.
Gianlorenzo Blengini's squad will begin its participation in the VNL in the Brazilian capital, Brasília, between June 10 and 14. This pool also includes the teams of Brazil, Serbia, Argentina, Belgium, and Iran, and according to the regulations, each team will play four matches, not against all opponents in the group.
The second week of the tournament will take place between June 24 and 28 in Ljubljana. There, Bulgaria is in a pool together with host Slovenia, world champion Italy, Brazil, Canada, and Ukraine, with the specific match schedule yet to be further specified.
The final stage of the group phase for the Bulgarian national team is between July 15 and 19 in Chicago – a city with one of the largest Bulgarian communities in the USA. This pool also includes the USA, Poland, France, China, and Brazil, which guarantees strong competition and serious tests at the end of the regular phase.
The Nations League finals will take place between July 29 and August 2 in the Chinese city of Ningbo. Last season, Bulgaria finished in ninth place, and only a loss in the last match in Gdańsk against Iran prevented them from qualifying among the participants in the medal distribution tournament.
