Upon returning to Bulgaria, the national volleyball team was honored by the head of state. The team's coach, Gianlorenzo Blengini, shared his impressions during a ceremony at the Presidency.
"When we returned to Bulgaria, the fans gave us much more than we gave them," Blengini stated. The head of state, Rumen Radev, presented honorary plaques to the athletes, the coaching staff, and the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation.
The reception the team received after their return was impressive. "When we returned to Bulgaria, this incredible reception yesterday made me think that the fans, children, mothers, fathers, elderly people – they gave us much more than we gave them," the coach added. He emphasized the importance of their role models for young Bulgarians. "The fact that our players became an example for Bulgarian children and managed to unite the Bulgarian people is something extraordinary, and we will remember it all our lives," Blengini further stated.
The reason for the celebrations was the exceptional achievement of the national volleyball team. The team won the silver medals at the Men's World Volleyball Championship, held in the Philippines. In the final match against Italy, the Bulgarian team lost 1:3 (21:25, 17:25, 25:17, 10:25) on September 28th. This historic achievement means that the national team becomes a world vice-champion for the second time in its history, 55 years after the success at the World Championship in Sofia. As passions were heated after a long tournament, the final turned into an extremely tense match, observed with great interest by thousands.