Bulgaria national team's opposite hitter Venislav Antov continues to make a strong impression in the French elite league. The 21-year-old attacker joined Tourcoing at the end of last April after a solid period with Levski, and in the autumn, he was part of our squad that won silver medals at the World Championship in the Philippines.
Recently, Antov also recorded a match that can hardly go unnoticed – 45 points in a single game, an achievement rarely seen at this level in France.
Tema Sport reporter Rosen Angelov spoke with Antov in the Lille area, where the volleyball player is already recognizable even outside the hall. The Bulgarian spoke about his first months in France, the differences in the championship, the competition and goals of Tourcoing, as well as the dreams of the national team.
Antov admits that the beginning in the new environment was strange, but adaptation came relatively quickly. "At first, it was a bit strange for me. Everything was different. It's my first time playing abroad – a new place, a new team and league, new people," he says. Despite initial expectations that people in Northern France are more reserved, the reality turned out differently. "From the very first day, everyone was by my side and helped me to acclimatize and integrate into the team more quickly," Antov adds.
It is a fact that the Bulgarian quickly established himself as a key player, but he himself does not underestimate the competition. According to him, the position is not a given and must be constantly earned. "They were looking for a main attacker. Yes, naturally there is competition, and my spot is not guaranteed. I have to fight for it," the opposite hitter states firmly.
The change of environment also brings linguistic challenges, but in sports terms, Antov is already comfortable. He admits with a smile that for now he masters basic French expressions, but volleyball vocabulary is part of his daily life. In the training process, communication is facilitated by captain Simon Rodriguez, who translates into English, and Tourcoing's international squad makes adaptation easier.
The biggest difference Antov highlights in the French league is the quality of defense. "In France, they focus a lot on the defensive element. Back-row play is at a very high level. Therefore, it's harder to score points from attack," he explains. And he admits that at first, this was frustrating for him: "I spike, the ball passes the block, and the defense catches it in the back... Spike – defense, spike – defense."
Against this backdrop, the 45-point match – against Chaumont, led by Silvano Prandi – sounds even more impressive. Antov says that even he himself didn't realize what he was doing during the game. "I don't know either. It was something incredible, it seemed unreal to me. I've never had a match like that," he recalls the game. He only learned about the record after the end, when he was informed by the opposing staff. "I couldn't believe it. I said: 'absurd'," Antov shares, adding that he felt things were going well for him and "every ball was going in." An interesting detail is that he only had one block and no aces then – almost everything came from attack.
According to him, the French league does not allow for relaxation because there are no "guaranteed" matches. "Here, you don't have games where you go out knowing you'll win one hundred percent. In every match, you have to be one hundred percent," says the Bulgarian. He points to Tours and Montpellier as the strongest teams but believes that Tourcoing can contend for the big goals.
The team's ambitions are clear for the regular season – a place in the Top 3 and a strong playoff run. Antov doesn't hide that he dreams of playing in the final and fighting for the title. "We have the opportunity to defeat one of the two teams and play in the final. This is also my personal goal – to contend for the title," he says.
In parallel with his performances in France, Antov also follows what is happening in Bulgaria. He watches the matches broadcast on television, is happy for Levski's successes, but emphasizes that the season is evenly matched and unpredictable. "This year the championship is evenly contested," he believes, pointing out that teams like Lokomotiv Plovdiv, CSKA, and the teams from Burgas should not be written off.
However, the strongest words in the conversation come when the topic reaches the national team and the world silver medal. Antov admits that he still finds it hard to grasp what they achieved. "It still feels like a dream to me. We achieved something big, great not only for Bulgarian volleyball but for Bulgarian sport as a whole," says the opposite hitter. And he adds an ambitious goal: "The peak will be if in the future we remove that 'vice' and only 'world champion' remains."
The upcoming European Championship, hosted in Bulgaria, is also part of the team's motivation, and the big dream is already focused on the next cycle – the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. "This is the big dream of everyone on the team... We all live with this hope," says Antov.
He also speaks respectfully about head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini, emphasizing discipline and the work atmosphere. "He insists a lot on discipline. To train hard, without slacking off... This is the foundation of success," Antov says and stresses that the Italian also helped psychologically: "He specifically helped us with our mentality, to view the game in a way that we can win every match."
Photo: Rosen Angelov (Tema Sport)
