Matey Kaziyski
Does the defeat against Dinamo MOSCOW still burn? In your opinion, what didn’t work, tie-break in the first game or the golden set in the return one?
“We could have made it in both occasions, but I think we had the wrong attitude versus Moscow. We could’ve won, perhaps even in the fourth set. No doubt it still burns, my teammates and I really wanted to get until the end of the competition. Trento didn’t suffer from it too much since we still have another great goal (Italian League) to concentrate on. Italian Playoffs are coming and we can’t afford to think too much about that defeat.”
Thinking about F4 formula, what is your opinion about the four teams that reached it?
“Teams are quite strong but it would have been even better with us!”
Are we allowed to say that the strongest teams (TRENTO and MACERATA) stayed home?
“We are very strong as well as MACERATA, this is the formula and it serves to make the show/exhibition international, otherwise every year the final would be monopolized by Italy and Russia. That’s why I agree with the formula that plans mandatory matches among teams from the same nation.”
What do you think about the most famous golden set?
“At this moment in time I can tell you that it is bulls**t! But more in general, it has both positive and negative aspects, it’s like the V-day (the name of the single final game that assigned the Italian Scudetto in 2010, 2011 and 2012, editor’s note), it promotes the show for the public but it is odd, the strongest team doesn’t always wins because everything can happen.”
The expiry date of your contract with TRENTO is still quite far, but would you be ever able to play with another team here in Italy?
“I don’t know, it depends. To be honest, it is very hard, but never say never. I do not even rule out that I might end my career here, I hope I will play still for many years.”
Hot topic in Bulgaria. Do you still believe that your sacrifice can be useful to change things?
“My sacrifice showed that things aren’t going as they should. I regret very much that nothing has changed since then. I still have hope and I will always have it but at the moment there is not much that can be done because the situations is always the same, if not worse. I know I am right and I know things can’t go on like this, and I hope changes will come soon.”
During these months several unconfirmed reports have come out about you, like fine threats, disqualifications and so on. Did they upset you or drive you mad?
“I was neither upset nor angry, actually I wasn’t even surprised because in Bulgaria it is quite usual that anyone who raises his voice gets this kind of obstacles and I was expecting it since the beginning.”
Do you think that one day you will wear your national team uniform again?
“I don’t know, not for the moment, even if I always hope for it.”
Talking about unconfirmed reports, there was a funny rumor some months ago which affirmed that you would have taken a sabbatical year from Itas TRENTINO to finish your economic studies.
“Let’s say that this rumor was a bit exaggerated. In that moment I felt tired and I was saying that I needed to “disconnect”. For the matter, I am no longer enrolled at university because I don’t find the right time to dedicate to the studies even if I really would like to.”
At the end of the Italian regular season you turned out to be the best aceman. But in which fundamental do you feel more confident and in which less?
“I have always been a player well known for the service and the spike. Perhaps I feel less confident in reception, even if I feel really improved lately. Lots of people say that spending last summer “at home” did me a lot of good, but in my opinion this improvement depends on the fact that this year we are not changing any more the ball (whereas Italian Men League used to adopt Molten balls up to last year), which was giving me troubles. Anyway, it has been lots of years now since I pushed on my reception; at the beginning I used to be the third receiver, the one who was excluded from reception anytime it was possible, but now receiving is an habit and we usually have three receivers. To become a spiker-receiver has been a long personal struggle for me in these years, as many coaches aimed at making me an opposite, or a setter, and indeed I tried these roles at high levels.”
But this would have been a waste or silly to convert you to setting?
“Well… I had a nice time setting. (laughs)”
We can easily see and understand that you and Stoytchev are really close. How is your relationship?
“We are very bound, and we are close friends also out of the court. We are sharing a long and beautiful path. By now we understand very well and know lots of things each other.”
And it is also very nice to see that during time outs Rado takes you apart and talks to you in Bulgarian?
“And thank goodness you cannot understand what he says!”
Does he yell at you?
“Yes he does! But only to be faster and clearer, we comprehend better when he has to say something personal.”
Who is the teammate which you are most connected to?
“Answering to this question has always been very hard for me, because we are a great group and we get along very well. In general I may say Birarelli (middle blocker), which I spend lot of time with, and Nikolay Uchikov and Mitar Djuric, as we are from the Slavic group.”
Which are your favourite “colleagues”? Do you have an idol?
“No, I never had an idol, but for instance I have always admired Sergey Tetyukhin, Giba and his predecessor Nalbert.”
On the contrary, how do you feel about the fact that now the idol is you, that you are always besieged by fans at the end of every match? What is your reaction to the great affection towards you?
“First of all, it’s a bit strange for me, because I am not changed, I’m always the same player more or less. I appreciate a lot that people esteem and admire me for what I do, it is a great proof of support and love. The contact with the public is extremely important for me and this means that everything I do gets transmitted to people. And then, however, I have this responsibility towards the many people who follow me, I can never ease up because, as I am a public personality, I am always in the spotlight.”
No doubt your popularity is global. You are such an idol for the volleyball social media community! Just a few months ago, you won Volleywood’s “My 2012 Volleywood Idol”, then the 2013 Volleyball Globe (another contest organized by the Italian volleyball website volleyball.it with registered voters from all over the world) and then nominated as Bulgaria’s 2012 Player Of The Year for the fourth consecutive year by the famous Bulgarian website sportal.bg. Any thoughts?
“I am very lucky to have so many fans who actively participate in social networks. During the last years I have become quite famous, especially in Bulgaria, and these places me a step further, compared to other players who come from countries where volleyball is not so well known.”
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