EXCLUSIVE: Kaziyski – “Volleyball is dying in Bulgaria”

Kaziyski Trentino

Your first official match after returning to Trentino was in the opening round of the Italian Championship against Padova at home. What was the feeling when you stepped on the court in front of the packed PalaTrento?

“It was incredible. It was like being away from home for a long time and then coming back. To see a lot of familiar faces on the stands was a new experience for me and made me really happy. Also, it was our first official match and we managed to won it in front of our fans. It was very important for us to have a good start, but of course, the most important thing in the season is not to have a good start, but to have a good finish.”

What did you miss the most from Trento?

“I can not say that i missed something particular. Because I was away for only a year and it passed pretty quickly. I had a great time in Ankara, but I am happy because I had the opportunity to come back.”

What would you consider a success in the current season?

“We have to build a team which is competitive and which stands well together. We have had some good matches already, but we still lack continuity. So, we have to make ourselves play good in every match and to avoid big ups and downs. And of course, for me, success would be taking medals and cups.”

Kaziyski Bulgaria

The next subject has not so bright background. Can you reveal for our website what are the main reasons because of which you don’t want to play for the Bulgarian National Team?

“I had a big disagreement with our Volleyball Federation and with their ways of leading our National Team and volleyball in general. There were a lot of rumors during the summer about my return. I only had a meeting with the new head coach (Plamen Konstantinov), and I said to him that I am not ready to come back, but that we can discuss things again in the future if some changes are made. However, so far nothing has changed and my position remains the same.”  

What are those things that have to change?   

“When I started with all of this I wanted big changes in the Volleyball Federation. Because I think it is time that Bulgarian volleyball starts walking on a different path. If we remain on this course, our volleyball will continue dying little by little. We have a lot of problems in our youth sectors, and therefore those problems transfer to our senior team and to volleyball in general” – Kaziyski then stopped for a bit and then continued:

“Also the clubs are struggling to survive. Most of the biggest clubs have huge financial problems. Every year they are facing a threat of disappearing from volleyball. And those clubs exists for 50,60.70 years! I think this is because of the whole politics in Bulgaria. We don’t have a sports law which would define the ownership and funding of the clubs. That is why not so many companies are not interested in funding our volleyball clubs. Volleyball in general is in bad, bad situation in Bulgaria” concluded Kaziyski. 

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