The Bulgarian men's national volleyball team is preparing diligently and with great desire for the upcoming Nations League tournament, which will be held in Burgas. This was stated by the team's head coach Gianlorenzo Blenghini at a meeting with journalists in the seaside town, BTA reported.
"The boys have been preparing very well, very diligently since the very beginning of the camp for the tournament. There is a high mood and great enthusiasm among all of us, because for the first time since I have been in Bulgaria, we will play in front of a Bulgarian audience“, Blenghini pointed out.
"It would not be an exaggeration if I said that in terms of volleyball I feel like a Bulgarian, because I am participating in a really important process – building a completely new team with prospects. We all believe that we can achieve results. It is a special feeling for us to participate in such a tournament, against such strong rivals, and in front of a home audience“, he added.
The head coach of the national team also stated that the positive feedback about the Bulgarian team, expressed by players from the leading volleyball nations, is pleasant, but should not distract the team from the real task – serious and daily work.
"We are aware that we have potential and quality, which we hope to develop in the coming years. But these are just nice words. The truth is that we have a lot of work ahead of us. We started a process last year with the short-term goal - within three years to reach a certain level. Next year we should be at a higher level, but all this goes through daily work and achieving results.“
Blengini stressed that regardless of the young squad and the talent of the players, the most important thing remains concrete achievements.
"We cannot rely only on potential. We must start achieving results in the upcoming matches. Naturally, our goal is to win the maximum number of victories. We know that the hall is almost sold out, it will be full. This can bring additional pressure on the competitors, but it is our job to isolate them from it and take advantage of the support of the audience as an additional incentive."
In conclusion, the coach noted that although Bulgaria is in a lower starting position in the world rankings compared to the other participants in the tournament, the overall goal remains clear - climbing the rankings and qualifying for the Olympic Games.
"We will do our best", concluded Gianlorenzo Blenghini.