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Latest news from the world of volleyball
Daria Ivanova strengthens Vasas Obuda
Young Bulgarian international Dariya Ivanova is the newest addition to Hungarian powerhouse Vasas Óbuda. The outside hitter, born on April 2, 2003, in Sofia, is taking another important step in her career, after gaining valuable international experience in the first half of the 2025/2026 season with Romanian champion CSM Volei Alba Blaj.Dariya Ivanova's move to Vasas Óbuda is actually her second stint in the Hungarian league. During the 2024/2025 season, the Bulgarian outside hitter already played for Fatum Nyíregyháza, where she took her first steps outside Bulgaria and adapted to the style and pace of Hungarian volleyball. In Romania, Ivanova not only established herself in the league but also participated in the CEV Champions League, where she competed at the highest club level in Europe. This accumulated confidence and game rhythm are among the main reasons Vasas decided to sign the Bulgarian player for the upcoming season.The new club of Bulgarian international Dariya Ivanova, Vasas Óbuda, failed to reach the group stage of the Champions League.
Denislav Dimitrov takes over Levski Sofia until the end of the season after parting ways with Arsov
The management of Levski Sofia provided additional clarity regarding the coaching situation in the women's team in light of the departure of the previous head coach Arsov. The club specified that until the end of the current season, the team will be led by Denislav Dimitrov, and only then will discussions and selection of a new coach commence.Denislav Dimitrov's appointment to lead the Levski Sofia women's team until the end of the season comes in a clear context and with a search for internal stability in the sport-technical process. Dimitrov is not an accidental figure in the coaching staff. Born on December 16, 1991, he has accumulated significant international experience as an assistant coach in women's volleyball. From 2019 2023, he was part of the staff of the Bulgarian women's national team, and before and after that, he worked for clubs in Romania (CSM T govi e), Turkey (PTT Spor), France (Stade Fran ais Paris Saint-Cloud), and the USA, where he was an assistant coach for Grand Rapids Rise during the 2023/24 season.
Luka Novi: Lube's logic leads to Simeon Nikolov
Conversation with volleyball agent Luca Novi on the showBarba e Capellion local TV TRC (Modena) once again confirmed the circulating information in Italy about Simeon Nikolov's upcoming arrival at Cucine Lube Civitanova. Novi's statement, made on air, was reported and summarized by the specialized websiteVolleyball.it, which emphasized the logic behind the club's market decisions. In the discussion about the situation at Lube, Luca Novi explicitly mentioned Simeon Nikolov by name, placing him directly in the context of decisions surrounding the setter position. The agent emphasized that such a move should not be interpreted as a lack of confidence in current players, but as part of a broader strategy aimed at the team's future. According to Novi, clubs of Lube's caliber increasingly rarely postpone key decisions.
Dinamo Bucharest with a convincing 3:0 over Poitiers in the CEV Cup, Branimir Grozdanov with a second appearance for the Romanians
Dinamo București made a strong bid for a place in the CEV Cup quarterfinals after defeating French Alterna SPVB Poitiers 3:0 (25:21, 25:20, 25:23) in the first leg of the 1/8-finals. The match was played in Bucharest in front of approximately 800 spectators and lasted 94 minutes. In all three sets, Dinamo won the decisive rallies after the 15th point. Particularly indicative was their stability at the end of the third set, when the hosts prevented Poitiers from taking the match into a riskier scenario. Blocking was Dinamo's main weapon – 17 direct points that completely disrupted Poitiers' attack.
France will host a Nations League tournament, a venue familiar to Bulgarians
France will host a Volleyball Nations League (VNL) tournament at the end of June, with matches taking place in the modern Co'Met hall in Orleans. The news was confirmed by the President of the French Volleyball Federation, Éric Tanguy, in his annual address, in which he outlined the priorities and key events for 2026. For Bulgarian fans, Orleans is not an unknown destination. It was in this hall that Bulgaria participated in a Nations League tournament in 2023, when Plamen Konstantinov was at the helm of the national team, and his assistant was Andrey Zhekov, who is still part of the coaching staff. Back then, the 'Lions' played a series of important matches in one of the best-organized tournaments on the VNL calendar.
VC Levski Sofia parts ways with Radoslav Arsov
The women's team of VC Levski Sofia will have a new head coach. The club is officially parting ways with Radoslav Arsov, with the reason for the separation being differences in the vision for the future development of the team. The management of the 'Blues' expressed their gratitude to the specialist for his work during the past season. Under his leadership, the Levski Sofia women's team reached the silver medals in the championship ", a significant success that solidified the club's place among the leading forces in Bulgarian women's volleyball. The club also highlighted Radoslav Arsov's professionalism and his contribution to the overall development of the women's section, including working with young athletes and building a stable sports-technical structure.
The Coppa Italia and the postponed Supercoppa with a clear program: dates, times and TV broadcast
Lega Pallavolo Serie A has officially published the schedule for the two most important tournaments outside the championship in the Men's SuperLega – the Del Monte® Italian Cup Final Four and the Del Monte® Supercup. For the 2025/2026 season, the competitions will be held within less than a month, but in different sports and organizational contexts. The Italian Cup retains its traditional format – a Final Four over two consecutive days in Bologna. The Supercup, on the other hand, will be played at an unusual time, after being postponed from the autumn to late winter due to organizational problems and the abandonment of the option to hold it outside Italy. All times below are in Bulgarian time.
Blendzhini from Samokov: Youth are the way forward for Bulgaria
Gianlorenzo Blengini, head coach of the Bulgarian men's national team, used the efbet Bulgarian Cup 2026 finals in Samokov not just as a tournament, but as a working laboratory for the future of the national team. The Italian specialist watched all matches and, in an interview for the "Volleyball Zone" show on "Max Sport 2", clearly outlined his philosophy – development through young players, constant control, and long-term thinking. Blengini was in Samokov with his coaching staff, including his assistant Francesco Cadeddu, who only days earlier had been released from Neftochimic 2010 (Burgas). The Italian was adamant that club changes do not affect the work of the national team. According to Blengini, the Cup matches are of exceptional importance for the national staff because they provide an opportunity to observe the development of players live, especially those from the expanded squad and potential future national team members.
Scandal in Greece: club managements push for 5 foreigners on the court, Greek volleyball players in open revolt
Greek men's volleyball is facing a serious internal scandal that affects its very foundations. The reason is a proposal to increase the number of foreign players, which provoked an unprecedented reaction from the players themselves. The PASAPP trade union organization published an official position, disseminated byvolleynews.gr, signed by 93 Greek volleyball players, who categorically declare their opposition to the change. It is rare for such a large group of active players to stand behind the same position. The sheer scale of the petition shows that the topic is far from marginal.
Hristo Manov continues his development in Canada
Pirin-Razlog's junior player and opposite hitter Hristo Manov will continue his volleyball career in Abbotsford, Canada, the club announced. The player, born on November 16, 2007, impresses with excellent physical attributes "," 203 cm height, 328 cm attack reach, and 340 cm vertical reach. He plays as an opposite hitter and until now defended the colors of Pirin, wearing jersey No. 4. Manov also recorded playing minutes in the Bulgarian Cup tournament, where Pirin reached the final.