The president of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation Lyubo Ganev commented to BNT on the decision to host the Eurovolley 2026 matches in Sofia, not Varna, Topsport reported.
He emphasized that the decision was made after a detailed analysis by the Board of Directors and was dictated solely by the desire for more fans to support the team.
"We are 17 people on the Board of Directors. Everyone expressed their pros and cons and we decided that the best thing for Bulgarian volleyball is to give what our seventh player - the audience - deserves. The difference between the halls is huge - 5250 more seats in Sofia for the seven home matches. This means 5,250 more people at each match who will be able to watch the boys live," Ganev said.
He explained that the decision was coordinated with all institutions and the European Volleyball Confederation:
"The president of the confederation said that there was great interest and asked if we didn't have a larger hall. We checked whether the hall was free, whether the minister would provide the funding, and we received confirmation from all parties - from the confederation, the minister and the municipality. Varna reacted extremely correctly - the mayor also helped and understands the decision. Ultimately, the large majority in the board of directors chose Sofia."
It was discussed to play some of the matches in Varna, but this option was dropped:
"If we had played five matches in Varna, we would still have played in front of 5,000 fewer spectators. That's why we decided to have all the matches in Sofia - this is the best for the national team".
Ganev also commented on his philosophy for the development of volleyball in our country:
"With us, there has never been a dilemma about who will play because his father gives him money. We give all competitors who have reached a certain level the opportunity to develop. There needs to be a base, a coaching staff, idols who inspire the young, and an opportunity to play in the matches. The federation should create the rules and take care of the national interests. I have been the chairman for five years, but we are all - both clubs and national teams - looking in the same direction.