There is still no information regarding the number and the name of clubs to participate in this year's championship. We don't know when it starts, we don't know the format, it's still a big black box. However, several teams are sure of their participation and have been working on the transfer market recently. Some short information about these clubs and their recruitments.
The biggest investments seem to have been made in Gabrovo. Coco Volley Club wants to advance as far as possible in the European Cups and challenge Marek for the title, so they strengthened their team significantly. Perhaps it's the most impressive squad they have been building in their history. They signed Dobomir Dimitrov (NT setter, 22-year-old, Pirin Balkanstroy), Dobromir Ivanov (libero, 25-year-old, Neftochimik 2010), Krasimir Gaydarski (ex-NT MB, Levski Volley), Kostadin Gadzhanov (MB, Marek Union-Ivkoni), Kostadin Stoykov (ex-NT, universal, Tomis Constanta (Romania)).
Pirin Balkanstroy Razlog lost their main sponsor Balkanstroy and will compete as Pirin Razlog. The budget has been shrinked and they had to let some of their best players, e.g. Dobromir Dimitrov and Yordan Zhelyazkov, go. Their head coach Miroslav Zhivkov left and has been appointed as a coach of the league newcomer Dobrudzha Dobrich. Yordan Mitsin, a local junior and youth mentor, will be in charge of the men's team and his primary task will be to integrate their junior players into the senior level. Two of the Penchev brothers, Rozalin (OH, Victoria Volley) and Chono (setter, Victoria Volley) return to join their former club.
Meanwhile, Zhivkov welcomed Yordan Zhelyazkov (opposite, Pirin Balkanstroy), Georgi Chalakov (MB, 210-cm, Pirin Balkanstroy), Stefan Stoyanov (setter, Marek Union-Ivkoni), Dimitar Ivanov (OH, Slavia Sofia) and Jovan Culesic (Montenegrin, OH, former club uknown) in the newcomer Dobrudzha.
Neftochimik's setter Ivan Stanev returns to the Iranian league. The libero Dobromir Ivanov has been replaced by Atanas Mitrev (Ethnikos Alexandropoulos (Greece)). Evgeni Grigorov (setter, VIctoria Volley) joins the club based in Burgas.
Severin Dimitrov's Montana has been active. Ventsislav Ragin (MB, Al-Rayyan SC (Qatar)) is said to be practicing with the team right now. Ivan Krachev (opposite, CSKA) and Petar Kirchev (MB, CSKA), as well as Valentin Dimov (OH, Arda Kardzhali) and Vladimir Lobutov (setter, Arda Kardzhali) already arrived in Montana.
The only new face training with the champion and CHL participant Marek Union-Ivkoni from Dupnitsa is Ventsislav Trifonov. The MB, however, has not played any official competitive volleyball (with the exception of the World Police Games 2013 that Bulgaria won in Frankfurt, Germany) for almost 2 years and will have to wait for an official decision regarding his rights to be enlisted after all the problems he had with his former club Victoria Volley and, of course, the Federation.
Levski Volley changed its name to Levski Ball. They appointed an Italian head coach - Giuseppe Lorizzio. A new signing is the setter Georgi Manchev, who comes from CSKA.
Nothing new about CSKA Sofia yet. The rest of the teams, as well as the championship schedule, remain a mystery.
They are totally unrelated! Their family names are common in Bulgaria, so confusion can happen