So Georgi is the setter and Valentin is the spiker OR it’s the other way around?
LOL!
If you’ve ever been confused about the famous Bulgarian volleyball twins, this article released by cev.lu will for sure help all of us differentiate Volleywood’s Power Twins:
A great deal of the Bulgarian success so far in the tournament (2015 European Games) is due to two brothers, twins and teammates – Georgi and Valentin Bratoev.
It is hard to tell them apart if it was not for the different numbers on their shirt. Valentin and Georgi Bratoev are identical twins and a part of the successful Bulgarian team at the European Games.
Georgi Bratoev wears the number 1 shirt as the setter of Bulgaria, while Valentin Bratoev has number 10 and plays as an outside spiker.
As Georgi sets the ball for Valentin on court there seems to be a special connection between them. But Georgi swears that he does not favour his brother.
“Never. No. On the court we are professional Volleyball players. Outside the court we are brothers,” says Georgi.
“Normally I get less balls than the other outside spikers, unfortunately,” Valentin says almost at the same time.
As the two of them sit in front of you in the interview zone in Crystal Hall, they look like two drops of water. When the interview begins, Valentin actually says, that Georgi just can answer for him – the result will be the same.
The first 21 years of their life the brothers were not apart for one single day. But then an injury separated them during an away match for the national team.
“In 2007,” they say simultaneously. “It was a strange feeling being apart for the first time ever. But it had to happen at some point, and now we are more apart than together,” says Georgi Bratoev.
Valentin plays in France for GFC AJACCIO, while Georgi sets his balls in Ukraine for Lokomotiv KHARKIV. They have played together in Levski Siconco SOFIA and for one season in Al Rayyan Volleyball in Qatar, and it is a thing they are looking forward doing again in the future. For now, they are enjoying their time together in Baku with the national team.
“It is a dream coming true for us to play together. We are strong together and know each other well,” says Valentin Bratoev.
Both, of course, 27 years of age, tell that their teammates know the difference between them, even when they are not wearing number 1 and 10.
“That is because he is getting a little fat,” teases Valentin Bratoev with a big smile.
“When we were kids, we were so identical that nobody could tell the difference. Our parents also got it wrong sometimes,” adds Georgi.
Click here to visit the CEV page of the 2015 European Games.
(images: cev.lu)