Mercury is rising in the beautiful Bulgarian Black Sea coastal city of Burgas, not only because the summer is here and the beach mood starts kicking in, but also because the city is bracing for some heated Volleyball Nations League battles as Bulgaria hosts France, Japan, Slovenia, Turkiye and Ukraine for the second week of the men’s VNL Preliminary Phase. It seems that among these six ambitious teams, coming in with some important fresh additions to their rosters, everybody can hope beat everybody, so the fans are up for some high-level volleyball excitement from Wednesday, June 25, through Sunday, June 29.
VNL 2025
France adds four Olympic champions to VNL lineup for Burgas
Six ambitious teams ready to battle on by the Black Sea in week two of men’s VNL action
Published 07:08, 25 Jun 2025
France’s playmaker and captain Antoine Brizard
“We know it’s impossible to live again through what we did in Paris. Playing in front of our crowd at the Olympics was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and then, winning of course was something amazing. But now we are trying to find new motivation because we want to keep French volleyball on a high level by helping this new generation grow. And of course, we are still hungry for victories…” Antoine Brizard, setter and captain of France
“You have to come to the national team absolutely ready to play. Yes, there is some tiredness after the club season, but this is our job and we have to learn how to rest. When you play for Bulgaria, the mindset is always positive. We are preparing hard and looking forward to the matches. We are a young team, so teamwork and team spirit are key. We will also rely on an emotional boost from the spectators.” Aleks Grozdanov, middle blocker and captain of Bulgaria
