Vladimir Garkov provides a detailed overview of his first season abroad, his development to date, his perspective on transfers of young Bulgarian volleyball players, and his ambitions for the national team. The conversation, which the Maritsa podcast summarizes with a focus on his journey from Victoria Volley through Levski, French Saint-Nazaire, and the national team, actually paints a much fuller picture of how Garkov himself sees his career at this moment.
Garkov describes his first year in France as useful and important for his development. He says that life and volleyball abroad are quite different and that it was a good step for him, even though reality did not fully align with his expectations. According to him, the French league is a good level, especially for young players, because defense is played very strongly, teams are extremely balanced, and in every match, you have to be at 100 percent. It is precisely in this that he sees one of the most significant differences with the Bulgarian league – in Bulgaria there are three or four teams that are close to each other, while in France almost every opponent can punish you if you are not at your maximum.
He is still hesitant to make a final assessment of whether his stay in France has already fulfilled its purpose as a stepping stone to even stronger leagues, as at the time of the interview he does not know where he will play next season. Nevertheless, he is convinced that he personally had a good season from a volleyball perspective. He distinguishes his own performance from that of the team, as he is aware that Saint-Nazaire's ranking does not meet the expectations for an ambitious club. According to him, however, individually he has shown that he can perform at this level and that he continues to have reasons to fight for a place in stronger teams.
In explaining why Saint-Nazaire, despite its status as a former French champion, finished so low, Garkov emphasizes the youth of the squad. The team started strongly, had a series of wins at the beginning, and played many evenly matched games, including quite a few decided in a tie-break. At some point, however, according to him, some of the young players "burned out," which affected the results. He does not exclude himself from this assessment. Additionally, a serious impact, he says, was caused by the change of the setter. Garkov is convinced that this change was not a good idea because with the original setter the team had already built a certain synergy and was winning matches, while the new one, although a more experienced Brazilian, did not have the necessary connection with the attackers and had not trained enough with them. For an outside hitter, as he himself later emphasizes, the role of the setter is extremely important and can be decisive for his performance.
On a purely personal level, his adaptation was not instantaneous. He recounts that he left a month and a half before the start of the championship, and the many friendly matches helped him adjust. In the first two weeks, he didn't feel fully oriented, but he gradually got used to it, and he attributes his strong start to this. Already in the first five or six rounds, he made a very strong impression and was even among the leading scorers, which, according to him, came precisely after his early involvement in preparation and building game rhythm even before the official matches.
When it comes to the most memorable matches of the season, Garkov unhesitatingly points to the French Cup clashes. The strongest for him was the match against Montpellier in the round of 16, in which he played very well and became MVP. This was also one of the peaks of Saint-Nazaire's season. Another emotional memory is his first match against Veni Antov's team. This encounter had a special charge for him, even though his team lost 1:3, because according to Garkov, the match was evenly matched and valuable. After defeating Montpellier in the cup tournament, Saint-Nazaire had hoped to avoid Tours in the draw, but that's exactly what happened – the most undesirable opponent, and in their home arena. Garkov admits that this was the most inconvenient possible option, as there were far more manageable opponents, including from a lower level. According to him, against teams like Tours and Montpellier, the difference in experience, the overall composition of the squads, and the level of service and block is evident. He believes that such teams have no weak links, and that's what sets them apart.
In the conversation, Garkov also provides a very interesting analysis on the topic of the first transfer abroad. According to him, every player must feel for themselves when they are ready for such a step. He doesn't believe there's a universal age at which one must necessarily leave. If a player has already won everything possible in Bulgaria and feels ready, there's no reason not to try abroad. For himself, he says he felt precisely such a moment. After two championship seasons with Levski, in which he won everything possible domestically, he decided it was time to move on abroad.
His opinion is particularly clear that for a first transfer, the financial aspect should not be the primary factor. For him, the most important thing is for a young player to be in an environment where they can play, demonstrate their qualities, and prove themselves. He gives a very telling example: there's no point for a young volleyball player to go to a big club in Italy if they are the fourth option for their position and don't get any playing time at all. He understands the logic that in such a team, training is at a higher level and there are quality people around you, but for him at this age, playing time is paramount. That's why he accepted France as a good stage where he could show what he can do and convince stronger clubs that he is ready for the next step.
Garkov also reflects on his period at Levski, which he describes as very important for his development. He admits that one of the reasons he stayed for another season at the club after the first championship title was participation in the Champions League. It was there that he first clearly realized how different the level was compared to the Bulgarian league. As a specific example, he points to the first match against Jastrzębski. According to him, these matches helped him gain experience, confidence, and composure, which later proved useful in France. The season at Levski was very demanding, with over 30 matches, which made it difficult to maintain a consistently high level, but ultimately he defines it as a very useful and important stage.
A significant portion of the conversation is dedicated to the national team. Garkov connects the successes of his generation in the youth national teams with the confidence with which these players enter men's volleyball. He is convinced that the years under the leadership of Martin Stoev and the achieved successes have built character, confidence, and a habit for big matches. According to him, when a player has gone through many semifinals, finals, and tense matches already at junior and youth age, they later much more easily accept big matches at the senior level. He notes that in the current men's national team, quite a few players from his age group are already making their contribution, and this is largely due to the foundation laid in previous years.
Comparing the work in youth teams and with the men's team, Garkov says the difference is palpable. Specifically with Gianlorenzo Blengini, his impression is of very tough training sessions, very serious fitness, and high demands. According to him, this approach has yielded results. He emphasizes that Blengini's preparation was very thorough, and opponent scouting was detailed. He shares an interesting detail that during video sessions, players took notes in notebooks and had to decide for themselves what was most important to them, instead of just waiting for ready-made information. According to him, this was very useful because it made it easier to remember important things about the opponent.
He also positively assesses last year's division into A and B national teams. According to him, it allowed a wider group of players to be in constant readiness, well-prepared, and properly physically loaded, so they could help at any moment. He also gives a personal example – before the World Championship, three people from the B team, including him, were kept ready until the last moment with the clear idea that one of them would likely make it into the final squad. Ultimately, the choice was different, and at the last moment, Mitko Dobrev was also taken as a second libero. For Garkov, this is further proof that the B team actually increases players' chances and keeps them close to the senior team.
As for his own ambitions, he is perfectly clear that he wants to help the national team and fight for a place in the squad. At the same time, he is aware that the competition for his position is extremely serious. He speaks of an abundance of quality outside hitters and admits that for coaches, this is a difficult choice because they need to find the most suitable combination so that the team is complete. He doesn't try to guarantee his place with words but says that everything will depend on training, form, the coaching staff's preferences, and what each player can contribute to the team.
At the end of the conversation, Garkov also comments on his future at the club level. Bulgaria is not excluded as an option, but at this stage, his desire is to see how far he can go abroad. If he receives an offer from a strong French club like Tours or Montpellier, he would seriously consider it, but he would rather not stay for a weaker French team. He has good impressions of France's sporting level but believes that financially, the league cannot compare with the strongest destinations. He sees it as a league immediately following the leading championships, and as an example, he cites the fact that France has quality foreign players and a good European standard, but the biggest names and strongest financial offers are still in Italy, Poland, and other more powerful markets.
His stance on the hypothetical choice between a strong league without a guaranteed spot and a slightly lower level with more playing time is also interesting. Garkov clarifies that everything depends on the specific role. If, for example, in Italy he is a third option, but his coach trusts him and genuinely sees a chance for him to play, he would accept such an offer. This is different, according to him, from a situation where you are simply a deep reserve with no prospect of minutes on the court. His words clearly indicate that for him, real development is paramount, not just prestige on paper.
He also touches on the question of how much club choice influences chances for the national team. According to him, it is an undeniable advantage when you are under Blengini's observation and when you play in an environment he closely monitors, especially in Italy. Garkov notes that the national coach helps many players from the A and B national teams find clubs in Italy because he knows the coaches well and has a clear idea of who worked how during the summer. This, of course, does not mean an automatic ticket to the national team, but it certainly keeps the players in his sights.
Finally, Garkov also provides a brief assessment of the Bulgarian league at the moment. According to him, the level this season was slightly lower compared to the previous one, although he sees effort and relative parity between the teams. He notes that there are still foreign players in the Super League, but he is pleased to see more Bulgarians establishing themselves. However, he does not believe that the current foreign players are necessarily at a higher level than those of last year.
Thus, beyond the brief highlights, the conversation on the Maritsa podcast shows Vladimir Garkov as a volleyball player who now views his career very consciously – with a clear understanding of what Bulgaria has given him, why he chose France, what he seeks from his next transfer, and what it means to simultaneously fight for a stronger club and a place in the national team. Several consistent themes emerge in his words – the need for playing time, the importance of the right environment, the value of hard work, and the feeling that after all he has achieved in youth formations and at Levski, the next logical step is to establish himself at a higher international level.
