Bulgarian Volleyball legend Dimitar Zlatanov turns 70, releases autobiography

Sofia, Bulgaria, November 9, 2018. Bulgarian Volleyball legend Dimitar Zlatanov, whom many regard as the best Volleyball player from the Balkan country of all time, turns 70 today. On the eve of the celebration of this remarkable anniversary, Zlatanov presented his autobiography ‘To touch the peak’ at the Sports Museum of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. Born on November 9, 1948, Zlatanov is the only Bulgarian inductee in the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, USA.

Dimitar Zlatanov started to play Volleyball back in 1968 for CSKA SOFIA. With this club, he became a Bulgarian national champion as many as nine times and claimed top honours from the 1969 and 1970 editions of the Champions Cup and Cup Winners Cup, respectively. Later in his career, i.e. in 1981, he won the Italian national league while wearing the shirt of Robe di Kappa CUS TORINO.

With the Bulgarian national team, Zlatanov is a silver medal winner from the 1970 World Championship, where he received the award for the best spiker of the competition, and the 1980 Olympic Games. Zlatanov represented Bulgaria at as many as three editions of the Olympic Games (1968, 1972 and 1980), as well as at four World and four European Championships. He features among the top 25 Volleyball players of the XX century chosen by FIVB.  

After the end of his competitive career, he achieved further success as a coach - four Bulgarian national league titles with his former club, CSKA SOFIA, as well as outstanding results in Italy with the teams of Mediolanum MILANO, Alpitour CUNEO and some more.



Back in 2011, Zlatanov became a recipient of the highest Bulgarian state honour, i.e. the Order Stara Planina 1st Class.

Two former Presidents of Bulgaria, Mr Petar Stoyanov and Mr Georgi Parvanov, attended the presentation of Zlatanov’s biography. The list of attendees included many distinguished former Bulgarian Volleyball players, as well as university teachers and Bulgarian Olympic champions in a number of sports. His wife Maria Zlatanova - also a former national team player - and his son Hristo Zlatanov – a former captain of the Italian national team – accompanied the Bulgarian legend as well.