The national volleyball team with a nomination for "Man of the Year" 2025
Bulgarian volleyball is once again among the leading topics in the public sphere. The Bulgarian national team received a nomination in Darik Radio's "Man of the Year" 2025 competition – recognition that goes beyond the realm of sports and highlights the significance of what was achieved in the past year.
The Academy's Nominations
The "Man of the Year" Academy, composed of Darik Radio journalists, annually honors individuals with the most significant public contribution. For 2025, the nominees are:
The Bulgarian national volleyball team – for winning the vice-champion title at the World Championship in the Philippines;
Dimitar Radev, Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank – for his key role in the process of Bulgaria's accession to the Eurozone;
Lazar Radkov, public figure – for his large-scale charitable and social initiatives.
It is noteworthy that this time the Academy also includes a team nomination – a format that is not traditional for every edition of the competition but is used in cases of exceptionally significant public success.
The Silver in the Philippines – the Argument
The vice-champion title from the 2025 World Championship brought Bulgaria back into the world elite. The national team players demonstrated maturity, tactical discipline, and psychological resilience in the most crucial moments of the tournament.
This success was not just a sporting achievement. It united fans, restored trust in the national team, and revived the feeling that Bulgaria can once again compete with the strongest in the world.
It is precisely this public impact that underlies the nomination.
Volleyball and "Man of the Year" – now a tradition
The current nomination is not a precedent for Bulgarian volleyball. Over the years three volleyball players have won the "Man of the Year" award, which emphasizes the place of this sport in our national identity:
Plamen Konstantinov – captain of the national team and one of the brightest figures in Bulgarian volleyball in its recent history;
Matey Kaziyski – internationally recognized champion and the face of Bulgaria's strongest generation in the last two decades;
Vladimir Nikolov – leader of the "Lions" in key years, an example of professionalism and perseverance.
The fact that three representatives of this sport are recipients of the award is a clear sign of the public importance of volleyball in our country.
How to vote
Everyone can support,once, one of the nominations untilMarch 25, 2026, including onhttps://manoftheyear.bg/
NB! For some email accounts, the instructions to confirm your vote land inSPAM, minutes after voting. Please keep this in mind and check yourSPAM folder.
You can vote athttps://manoftheyear.bg/
You can votehere
More than sport
The nomination of the national team in 2025 confirms a trend – when Bulgarian volleyball succeeds, the effect is felt far beyond the court. This is a sport that traditionally creates personalities with authority and unifying power.
Now, years after the individual accolades of Konstantinov, Kaziyski, and Nikolov, volleyball is once again in the public spotlight – this time through the strength of the team.
And when a national team is nominated for "Man of the Year," it means only one thing: its success has become national.
