After the dramatic fourth match of the final series in the Polish championship, lost by Bogdanka LUK Lublin, the captain of the Bulgarian national team, Alex Grozdanov, stood before the microphone ofVolleyWeek.bgin the "Globus" hall in Lublin. The middle blocker spoke about both the battle for the title in Poland and the upcoming busy summer with the national team, the home European Championship in 2026, and the challenges facing Bulgarian sports. Grozdanov also commented on the physical fatigue after the tough season, the expectations for Bulgaria after their strong performance in the Philippines, and his dream to one day play in front of a full "Arena 8888" in Sofia.

– Alex, a tough and emotional match. One more game remains in the final series. What is the mood in the team?
– We need to recover as quickly as possible. We also have a long journey to Sosnowiec. The hall there is very pleasant to play in, our fans will support us, so I hope we can show a slightly better volleyball in some aspects. I'm thinking positively. We really have the opportunity and strength to defend last year's title.

– Was there over-motivation? You seemed very emotional even before the start.
– There was emotion, but I don't think we were overly motivated or burned out. They simply played better volleyball compared to the previous two matches. In my opinion, the main difference was in the serve. I personally made three service errors, while in the previous two matches I didn't make a single one. That was one of the main differences. By the end of the last set, we were slightly fatigued. Now we need to rest emotionally and prepare.

– In many moments you were leading, especially in the third set. What was missing?
– Yes, in most sets we had a lead, but they caught up to us. We simply needed to reduce our errors at certain moments. We made two or three service errors consecutively in important situations. But everything will be alright.

– Is there any bitterness left from being eliminated from the Champions League?
– Yes, let's not lie – there is such a hint. They caught us at a very bad time. There was great fatigue in the team – both physical and mental. From January until the end of March, we only had ten people at practice. One would recover, another would get injured. There were serious issues – herniated discs, muscle tears. It was a tough period. Otherwise, Savitsky made a great comeback, even though he had been out of play for more than nine months and is not yet in optimal form.

– After the end of the series, the season with the national team begins. How much time will you have to rest?
– Very little. I still have another conversation with head coach Blengini to clarify how many days I will be able to rest and recover. After that – a trip home. I will definitely have to stay two more days in Lublin, and then a few days with family. Realistically, for the past eight months, we have only been together for one evening, when I managed to go home, and that was for two or three hours. That's just how things happened. It's a good thing my girlfriend was able to visit me from time to time. I can't wait to spend more time with her.

– After the short break, you will be back in Poland, this time with the national team for the Silesia Cup.
– Yes, that's the plan. I will have a few days to go home and see my family, and then preparation with the national team begins. Last year there was a similar option – if we had finished the club season later, I might have stayed in Poland and joined the team directly for the tournament. However, this time we will have a little time to rest before we reunite. This tournament is a great opportunity to see what condition we are in, to adjust again, and our opponents are serious.

– What are your expectations for the summer with the national team? The schedule looks very tough.
– The most important thing is for us to be healthy and recovered. To gather all together, rested as much as possible, and to build upon what we did last summer. I texted Moni Nikolov and I'm glad there's nothing serious with his injury, because I know what it's like (referring to the injury to his left-hand fingers at the beginning of the season with the national team last summer, ed. note). I hope we are all healthy. I can't say which of the three VNL tournaments is more difficult, but it will be tough because we will travel across the Ocean twice – to Brazil, then back to Europe, and then to Chicago. And there are no easy matches for us anymore, because no one will underestimate us, as we have shown that we can play on par with the big teams. Even teams that theoretically seem weaker will come out against the second-ranked team in the world with immense motivation. The most important thing is to win matches and accumulate points for the ranking. Ultimately, it doesn't matter if the victory is beautiful or not – a win is a win. Sometimes there are matches with more errors and tougher moments, but if you manage to win them, it means you've done your job.

– New names are also expected in the national team...
– Absolutely. If you're referring to Zhasmin Velichkov, I wouldn't say he's very new; he trained with us last year. He had a great first season with Monza; I managed to watch a few matches while Marti Atanasov was also there. And that's good. The new guys need to fight, to learn, and we also need to learn from each other. Competition is very important if you want to take a step up.

– A home European Championship is also coming up. What does that mean to you?
– This will be a huge emotion for me. Honestly, I constantly think about it. I remember this tournament at least two or three times a week. It's been a dream of mine since childhood. I remember in 2015 I was in the upper rows at "Arena Armeec" watching the national team. I imagined myself one day being down on the court in front of a full hall. But hosting also brings pressure. We need to be very well prepared mentally. After all, we're at home – friends, families, organization, tension, a thousand things. We are a young team, and we need to be mentally ready for this. We will give our all. I can guarantee that for every single person on the team. We will simply burn on the court. I hope we don't burn out.

– Last year you were the youngest team at the tournament in the Philippines. Does that help or weigh you down?
– Both. But the load is huge. The club season is tough, and then, with almost no break, comes the national team. Not everyone manages to fully recover mentally and physically. To be honest, the topic of changing the calendar is very interesting. In my opinion, the idea for national teams to play in winter makes sense. You get a little breather in the middle of the season, you change the atmosphere, you see your family. Such breaks sometimes help a lot.

– Did you personally manage to avoid injuries this season?
– I didn't have any injuries that stopped me from playing, thank God. But there's accumulated fatigue. My knee has been hurting all season, and my shoulder also started causing problems last month for the same reason – accumulated fatigue. There are cramps in my back, ribs... That's part of the game. As a close person told me – when you're a professional athlete, how do you expect nothing to hurt?

– In the conversation, you also touched upon the topic of conditions in Bulgarian sports.
– Yes, there's a need for change there. I grew up training in gyms where we practiced in sub-zero temperatures with gloves on. If we had better conditions and more gyms, many more children would get into sports, especially volleyball.

– In that vein, you also mentioned Vladimir Nikolov.
– I hope that, if there's an opportunity, he helps sports, brings fresh ideas and new ways of thinking. The Bulgarian system needs a shake-up because it doesn't support sports much. There are exceptions, but they are few, like in Samokov – you train, eat, and sleep in one place, no time wasted. Good organization immediately yields results.

– And here the topic of civic stance inevitably comes up...
– Absolutely, because we can't just grumble and wait for someone to show up and fix things. We played semifinals with Bogdanka, but after that, I drove nearly 400 kilometers to Warsaw to vote. I believe everyone should have a civic stance and participate in these processes, not just complain and hate afterward.

– And finally – what would you wish your teammates as captain before the start of summer?
– To work hard, protect themselves from injuries, recover properly, and stay healthy. That's what I would tell them. We come maximally motivated, and we must do our job right.