One of the biggest stars of European volleyball, Oleh Plotnytskyi, spoke about a possible return to the Ukrainian national team. The outside hitter for the Italian giant Perugia made interesting revelations in an interview for the Ukrainian websiteSport.ua, which directly affects Bulgaria as well.

The reason is that the Bulgarian national team is in the same group as Ukraine at the 2026 European Championship, which will be played in Sofia. The group also includes Poland, Portugal, North Macedonia, and Israel.

This means that Plotnytskyi's potential return could seriously boost the strength of the Ukrainian team, especially in direct matches against Bulgaria.

Plotnytskyi: My decision to retire was well-considered

In the interview, the Ukrainian national explains that his earlier decision to withdraw from the national team was not an emotional one.

"It was more of a cold and well-considered decision. I saw no point in returning every year to the topic of why Plotnytskyi had not joined the national team."

According to him, the official announcement of his departure should have put an end to the constant speculation surrounding his absence.

Response to accusations surrounding the scandal

Plotnytskyi also commented on one of the most discussed topics – accusations that he had influenced other national team players not to join the team.

"The most incomprehensible thing for me was when they started saying that I had talked the others into it. These players are not 15 years old, and each makes their own decisions."

Contact with head coach Raul Lozano

The most interesting part of the conversation concerns a possible return to the national team. Plotnytskyi admits he maintains contact with head coach Raul Lozano.

"We have been in touch and we communicate. We've talked twice already, and everything is normal."

"There's a possibility I could return this year"

The Perugia star does not rule out the possibility of joining the national team as early as the current season.

"I think there's a possibility I could join the national team this year, but we still have organizational matters that need to be clarified."

Plotnytskyi adds that he and Lozano should have another conversation soon to discuss a concrete plan.

"I think within a month we will talk and discuss a plan – who wants what and how they see things."

What does this mean for Bulgaria

The topic is directly relevant to the Bulgarian national team as well. Ukraine is among Bulgaria's opponents in the group stage of Euro 2026 in Sofia, where Poland, Portugal, North Macedonia, and Israel will also play.

If Plotnytskyi returns, the Ukrainian team will get back its leader and one of the strongest receivers in Europe, which could seriously alter the balance of power in the group.

For Bulgaria, this means that one of the direct competitors for the top spots in the group could appear at the championship with a significantly stronger squad.
Bulgaria and Ukraine also met last summer in the Volleyball Nations League, when Burgas hosted one of the tournaments. In the last match of the competition at 'Arena Burgas', the Bulgarian team conceded a comeback and lost to the Ukrainians, without Plotnytskyi, by 1:3 (25:20, 19:25, 24:26, 22:25).

Photo: Nikolay Varadinov