Martin Atanasov is a Bulgarian outside hitter for Olympiacos ONEX and the Bulgaria men’s national team. Born in Sofia on September 27, 1996, the 199 cm attacker began playing volleyball at 12 while living in Spain, where his father Petar was playing professionally. He has since built a senior club career across Bulgaria, Türkiye, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, Indonesia and Greece, winning three Turkish championships and helping Bulgaria take silver at the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship.
For the 2026–27 season, Atanasov joined Olympiacos after a year that included his first Italian SuperLega campaign with Vero Volley Monza and a short-term assignment with Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi during the Indonesian Proliga Final Four. He remains part of Bulgaria’s senior core, wearing No. 4 at the 2026 VNL and EuroVolley.
Player Information
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Martin Atanasov |
| Native Name | Мартин Атанасов |
| Date of Birth | September 27, 1996 |
| Nationality | Bulgarian |
| Place of Birth | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Position | Outside Hitter |
| Height | 199 cm (6 ft 6 in) |
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb) |
| Spike Reach | 369 cm |
| Block Reach | 342 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| Current Club | Olympiacos ONEX |
| Club Number | 1 |
| National Team | Bulgaria Men’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-Team Number | 4 |
| @ma.atanasov |
Olympiacos currently lists Atanasov at 199 cm, while Volleyball World and CEV’s EuroVolley 2026 database use 196 cm. The current club measurement is used here because it is the latest first-party club listing. Weight, spike reach, block reach and dominant hand are taken from the established secondary player database Volleybox where current governing-body profiles do not publish those fields.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Atanasov’s first serious experience with volleyball came outside Bulgaria. His father, Petar Atanasov, was a professional volleyball player, and the family was living in Spain when Martin had to choose between football and volleyball. He chose volleyball at age 12 and later told CEV that his family was the reason he took up the sport.
After returning to Bulgaria, he entered the Levski Sofia system before moving to Dobrudzha 07 in Dobrich. The change became important for his development. Atanasov later credited coach Miroslav Zhivkov with giving him an environment in which he could grow, and his time at Dobrudzha moved him quickly from prospect to one of the most productive young outside hitters in Bulgarian club volleyball.
The 2015–16 season became his domestic breakthrough. Dobrudzha won the Bulgarian championship, while Atanasov collected individual recognition that included league MVP, Best Outside Hitter and Best Receiver honors. Olympiacos’ current biography also records him as Bulgarian Cup MVP and Best Outside Hitter during the same period.
His national-team involvement developed at roughly the same time. CEV records place Atanasov with Bulgaria in senior competition by the mid-2010s, including European Championship and European League cycles before he became a regular member of the first team.
Club Career
Dobrudzha 07
Atanasov’s first major senior club period was with Dobrudzha 07. Olympiacos lists him with the club from 2014 to 2016, while contemporary CEV coverage identifies the Dobrudzha period as the stage in which he emerged as a leading young player in Bulgaria.
Dobrudzha won the Bulgarian Cup during his early period with the club and then captured the Bulgarian championship in 2015–16. Atanasov’s individual awards from the championship season reflected a role broader than pure scoring: he was recognized for attacking and reception as well as overall impact.
Tokat Belediye Plevne
For 2016–17, Atanasov made his first senior club move abroad by joining Tokat Belediye Plevne in Türkiye. Olympiacos’ career record identifies the Turkish club as his next stop after Dobrudzha.
The move began a pattern that would define much of his career. Instead of remaining within one domestic league, Atanasov repeatedly tested himself in different volleyball systems, eventually playing in several of Europe’s strongest competitions.
VfB Friedrichshafen
Atanasov joined VfB Friedrichshafen for 2017–18. The German season brought immediate silverware: Friedrichshafen won both the German Cup and German SuperCup during his time with the club.
He also gained Champions League experience, adding another level of competition to a career that was still in its early twenties. CEV records confirm Friedrichshafen as his European club for the 2018 competition cycle.
Chaumont VB 52
France came next. Atanasov spent the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons with Chaumont VB 52, playing domestic Ligue A volleyball and European club competition.
The Chaumont period helped broaden the two-way side of his game. An outside hitter at that level must absorb a substantial serve-reception workload while remaining available for high-volume attacking, a balance that would later become important during his most successful seasons in Türkiye.
His second season in France ended abruptly during the COVID-19 disruption. In a 2020 interview after returning to Bulgaria, Atanasov explained that he had managed to leave France shortly before airports closed and spent the isolation period with his family.
Ziraat Bankkart: Three Turkish Championships
Atanasov joined Ziraat Bankkart Ankara for 2020–21, beginning the most successful title-winning stretch of his club career.
His first Ziraat season produced a Turkish championship and a run to the CEV Challenge Cup final. Ziraat did not win the European trophy: CEV records the club as runner-up. Atanasov nevertheless finished as the competition’s third-highest scorer with 112 points.
That season also brought Best Outside Hitter recognition in the Turkish league. The following campaigns established Ziraat as the dominant domestic team, with Atanasov part of three consecutive Turkish championship wins from 2020–21 through 2022–23. The club also collected two Turkish Super Cups during his tenure.
His European recognition grew alongside the team success. Olympiacos’ official biography lists Atanasov as a Best Outside Hitter in the CEV Champions League in both 2021–22 and 2022–23, as well as Best Outside Hitter in the 2021–22 Turkish Cup.
By the end of his three years in Ankara, Atanasov had moved well beyond the status of a developing Bulgarian attacker. He had become an established six-rotation outside hitter with repeated domestic titles and Champions League experience.
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk
Atanasov moved to Lokomotiv Novosibirsk for 2023–24, taking his career into the Russian league after three seasons in Türkiye.
The transfer placed him in another physically demanding environment, with a league traditionally featuring tall blocks and heavy serving. It also continued his pattern of taking a major role immediately after changing countries rather than using foreign seasons primarily as developmental stops.
His Russian season lasted one year before another return to Türkiye.
Galatasaray
Galatasaray officially signed Atanasov for 2024–25 on a one-season agreement. The club announcement highlighted his three Turkish championships, two Super Cups, German Cup and German SuperCup among the honors accumulated before his arrival.
Returning to Istanbul meant entering a league he already understood well, but with a different team and competitive context. Galatasaray reached the championship stage domestically during a season that preceded two major changes in Atanasov’s career: Bulgaria’s World Championship breakthrough and his first move to the Italian SuperLega.
Vero Volley Monza
Atanasov joined Vero Volley Monza for 2025–26, making his SuperLega debut at 29.
His first Italian campaign produced 225 points, with 195 from attack, 14 from blocks and 16 from service. Volleyball World recorded a 46.32% attacking efficiency across the competition.
Those numbers show the type of role Monza asked him to play. Atanasov remained primarily an attacking and receiving outside hitter, but 30 of his total points came from either block or serve. Olympiacos’ later assessment of the season also highlighted his reception stability in addition to his attack and service production.
The Italian season lasted one year, but it added another major league to an already unusually broad club résumé.
Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi
After the SuperLega season, Atanasov joined Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi as a foreign reinforcement for the closing stages of the 2026 Indonesian Proliga.
The official Proliga site described Atanasov and Bardia Saadat as Bhayangkara’s new foreign-player pairing during the Final Four. Atanasov immediately became part of the team’s attacking rotation.
Bhayangkara reached the championship match against Jakarta LavAni but lost the final 3–1. Atanasov scored 21 points in that match, including two aces and a block, as Bhayangkara finished runner-up.
This short Indonesian assignment should be distinguished from the 2026 AVC Men’s Champions League. Although Jakarta Bhayangkara later won that continental tournament, Atanasov was not on the competition roster, so that Asian title is not counted among his verified honors here.
Olympiacos ONEX
Olympiacos announced Atanasov on June 3, 2026, signing him for the 2026–27 season. The Greek club registered him as an outside hitter and assigned him No. 1. Its current roster profile lists him at 199 cm and active for the 2026–27 campaign.
The move adds Greece to a club career that had already covered Bulgaria, Türkiye, Germany, France, Russia, Italy and Indonesia. In his signing statement, Atanasov said he had imagined himself playing for Olympiacos when he was younger and described the transfer as the right step at this point in his career.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2014–2016 | Dobrudzha 07 | Bulgaria |
| 2016–2017 | Tokat Belediye Plevne | Türkiye |
| 2017–2018 | VfB Friedrichshafen | Germany |
| 2018–2020 | Chaumont VB 52 | France |
| 2020–2023 | Ziraat Bankkart Ankara | Türkiye |
| 2023–2024 | Lokomotiv Novosibirsk | Russia |
| 2024–2025 | Galatasaray HDI Sigorta | Türkiye |
| 2025–2026 | Vero Volley Monza | Italy |
| 2026 | Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi | Indonesia |
| 2026–present | Olympiacos ONEX | Greece |
Olympiacos’ signing announcement provides the main senior timeline from Dobrudzha through Monza and the 2026 Jakarta period.
National Team Career
Atanasov has been part of Bulgaria’s senior national-team structure for more than a decade. CEV records list him in Bulgaria’s European Championship setup in 2015 and the European League in 2016, followed by EuroVolley appearances and Olympic qualification campaigns as his role became more established.
By the late 2010s he was one of Bulgaria’s regular outside hitters. His physical profile was already notable in the qualification cycle for the Tokyo Olympics, where CEV highlighted his jumping ability and use as a high-contact attacking option. The national team increasingly relied on him for the combination expected from a six-rotation outside hitter: attack, reception and service pressure rather than one specialist skill.
His workload remained substantial through successive Volleyball Nations League campaigns. In the 2022 VNL, for example, Volleyball World recorded 139 points, including 117 attacks and 15 aces.
2025 World Championship Silver Medal
The most important team result of Atanasov’s international career came at the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship.
Bulgaria reached the final for the first time in 55 years before losing to Italy and taking silver. Atanasov completed the tournament with 63 points — 43 in attack, 14 from blocks and six from service.
His scoring profile was unusual for an outside hitter in one respect: 20 of the 63 points came from either blocks or aces. That helped Bulgaria generate points from more than its primary high-volume attackers and gave the team another experienced six-rotation option alongside a younger core led offensively by Aleksandar Nikolov.
The medal returned Bulgaria to the World Championship podium and became Atanasov’s first senior global championship medal.
2026 Volleyball Nations League
Atanasov remained No. 4 for Bulgaria during the 2026 VNL.
Volleyball World recorded 65 points, made up of 52 attack points, seven blocks and six aces. His attacking efficiency was listed at 45.22%.
One of the more significant results came against Italy, when Bulgaria defeated the reigning world champions during the preliminary phase. Atanasov contributed across attack, serve and block as Bulgaria continued to develop a lineup combining established internationals with the younger generation that had emerged around the Nikolov brothers.
The statistical volume was lower than in several earlier VNL campaigns, but Atanasov remained a regular receiving outside hitter rather than a player retained only for experience.
EuroVolley 2026
Atanasov continued with Bulgaria at EuroVolley 2026, again wearing No. 4. The CEV roster lists him as an outside spiker, and Bulgaria advanced from the group stage after four wins from five matches.
Across the five matches in which he played, compiled EuroVolley data records 35 points: 26 kills, five blocks and four aces. He also handled 75 recorded receptions, underlining the two-way workload associated with his position.
Bulgaria’s tournament ended against Germany in the round of 16. Bulgaria won the opening two sets before Germany recovered to take the match 3–2. Atanasov finished the match with seven points, including six kills and one block.
Playing Style & Strengths
Atanasov’s game is best understood as that of a complete receiving outside hitter rather than a pure high-ball scorer. His teams have repeatedly used him in roles that require substantial serve reception while still expecting attacking production from the left side and back row.
His physical profile supports that balance. The current Olympiacos roster lists him at 199 cm, while secondary player records give him a 369 cm spike reach and 342 cm block reach. Those figures help explain why he can play above the block despite not being exceptionally tall by modern international outside-hitter standards.
High Contact Point and Transition Attack
Atanasov generates much of his attacking value through elevation and a high contact point.
For an outside hitter, that matters most when the set is not perfect. A clean first-tempo attack can create a direct matchup, but outside hitters frequently receive slower balls after difficult reception or defensive transitions. Additional reach gives Atanasov more space to work against an established block.
His 2025–26 SuperLega numbers provide a recent example of that workload: 195 attack points at 46.32% efficiency in his first Italian season.
He is also comfortable as a back-row attacking option. That allows a setter to keep him involved through all six rotations instead of losing a major scoring outlet when he moves behind the three-meter line.
Reception Responsibilities
The reception side of Atanasov’s game is just as important to his role.
An outside hitter who takes a large share of serve reception has to attack after passing, often with less preparation time than an opposite. Olympiacos specifically highlighted Atanasov’s reception stability when reviewing his Monza season, while EuroVolley 2026 data shows him handling 75 receptions across five appearances.
This is one reason his career has translated across so many leagues. A high-level receiving outside hitter can fit more easily beside different opposites, setters and liberos because the player contributes to the first contact rather than requiring the offense to hide him from serve.
Serve and Block Contribution
Atanasov also creates direct scoring pressure away from his primary attacking role.
He produced 16 aces for Monza in the 2025–26 SuperLega, six during the 2026 VNL and another four at EuroVolley 2026.
His block is another useful secondary scoring source. Fourteen of his 63 points at the 2025 World Championship came at the net, followed by 14 block points with Monza and seven in the 2026 VNL.
Those numbers should not be interpreted as making blocking his defining skill. Their importance is that Atanasov can add points in all three scoring categories while still performing the reception responsibilities of an outside hitter.
Experience Across Different Systems
The breadth of Atanasov’s club career has also shaped his technical profile.
He has played in leagues where the emphasis varies considerably: the physical serving and blocking environment of Russia, the tactical structure of France and Germany, three championship seasons in Türkiye, an Italian SuperLega campaign and now a move to Greece.
That does not make every league experience equivalent, but it does mean he has repeatedly had to adapt to new setters, serve-reception formations and attacking tempos. For a player whose position sits at the intersection of first contact and terminal attack, that adaptability has become one of the durable features of his career.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | FIVB Men’s World Championship | Silver |
Bulgaria’s 2025 silver was its first World Championship final appearance in 55 years.
Selected Club Honors
| Season / Year | Competition | Result | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Bulgarian Cup | Winner | Dobrudzha 07 |
| 2015–16 | Bulgarian Championship | Champion | Dobrudzha 07 |
| 2017–18 | German Cup | Winner | VfB Friedrichshafen |
| 2017 | German SuperCup | Winner | VfB Friedrichshafen |
| 2020–21 | Turkish Championship | Champion | Ziraat Bankkart Ankara |
| 2020–21 | CEV Challenge Cup | Runner-up | Ziraat Bankkart Ankara |
| 2021–22 | Turkish Championship | Champion | Ziraat Bankkart Ankara |
| 2021 | Turkish Super Cup | Winner | Ziraat Bankkart Ankara |
| 2022–23 | Turkish Championship | Champion | Ziraat Bankkart Ankara |
| 2022 | Turkish Super Cup | Winner | Ziraat Bankkart Ankara |
| 2026 | Indonesian Proliga | Runner-up | Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi |
The Challenge Cup is listed as a runner-up finish rather than a title because CEV’s own 2021 coverage states that Ziraat reached the final but did not win the trophy.
Selected Individual Awards
| Year / Season | Competition | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Bulgarian Championship | MVP |
| 2015–16 | Bulgarian Championship | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2015–16 | Bulgarian Championship | Best Receiver |
| 2015–16 | Bulgarian Cup | MVP |
| 2015–16 | Bulgarian Cup | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2020–21 | Turkish Championship | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2021–22 | Turkish Cup | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2021–22 | CEV Champions League | Best Outside Hitter |
| 2022–23 | CEV Champions League | Best Outside Hitter |
Olympiacos lists these individual honors in Atanasov’s official signing biography.
Life Away from Volleyball
Atanasov has generally kept his public profile centered on volleyball, but a 2020 interview offered a more specific view of his life away from competition.
When professional volleyball stopped during the early COVID-19 period, Atanasov returned from France to Bulgaria just before travel restrictions tightened. He spent the isolation period with his family rather than remaining alone abroad.
During that period, he spent time walking and doing light running around the family property and helped his father with work in the yard. The experience led him to say that he had discovered gardening — a small but unusually concrete personal detail in a career otherwise documented mostly through matches, transfers and national-team tournaments.
The same interview and embedded social post also provide a clear public link to his Instagram account, @ma.atanasov.
Where Is Martin Atanasov Playing Now?
As of September 30, 2026, Martin Atanasov plays for Olympiacos ONEX in Greece.
Olympiacos announced his signing on June 3, 2026. The club’s current 2026–27 roster lists him as an active outside hitter wearing No. 1, with a height of 199 cm.
The transfer followed a 2025–26 season with Vero Volley Monza and his short post-season assignment with Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi. It therefore marks his first Greek club season rather than a return to a league in which he had previously played.
For Bulgaria, Atanasov remains an active senior international. He wore No. 4 in both the 2026 VNL and EuroVolley, with his latest major tournament ending in Bulgaria’s five-set round-of-16 loss to Germany.
Atanasov turned 30 on September 27, 2026, entering his Olympiacos season with more than a decade of senior national-team history and club experience in eight countries.
Recent Performance Snapshot
| Competition | Team | Matches / Context | Total Points | Attack | Blocks | Aces |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship | Bulgaria | World silver medal | 63 | 43 | 14 | 6 |
| 2025–26 Italian SuperLega | Vero Volley Monza | First SuperLega season | 225 | 195 | 14 | 16 |
| 2026 Volleyball Nations League | Bulgaria | 2026 preliminary phase | 65 | 52 | 7 | 6 |
| EuroVolley 2026 | Bulgaria | 5 appearances | 35 | 26 kills | 5 | 4 |
The World Championship numbers are particularly notable for their balance. Atanasov scored 20 of his 63 tournament points through blocks and serves, supporting Bulgaria’s run to the silver medal without depending entirely on left-side attacking volume.
His Monza season then showed that he could carry a regular outside-hitter workload in SuperLega, finishing with 225 points and 195 attack points.
During the 2026 VNL, Atanasov added another 65 points for Bulgaria, while his EuroVolley campaign combined 35 points with a significant reception workload.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Martin Atanasov?
Olympiacos currently lists Martin Atanasov at 199 cm (6 ft 6 in). Volleyball World and CEV’s 2026 national-team listings use 196 cm, so official sources differ. The current club measurement of 199 cm is used in this profile.
What position does Martin Atanasov play?
Atanasov is an outside hitter. His role combines left-side and back-row attacking with serve reception, serving and blocking.
Which club does Martin Atanasov play for?
He plays for Olympiacos ONEX in Greece for the 2026–27 season. Olympiacos officially announced his signing in June 2026.
What number does Martin Atanasov wear?
Atanasov wears No. 1 for Olympiacos ONEX and No. 4 for the Bulgaria men’s national team in current international competition.
What are Martin Atanasov’s spike and block reaches?
Volleybox lists Atanasov with a 369 cm spike reach and 342 cm block reach. These measurements are secondary-database figures because current governing-body and club profiles do not publish both reaches.
Did Martin Atanasov win a World Championship medal?
Yes. Atanasov helped Bulgaria win silver at the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship. He scored 63 points during the tournament, including 43 attacks, 14 blocks and six aces.
How many Turkish championships has Martin Atanasov won?
Atanasov won three consecutive Turkish championships with Ziraat Bankkart Ankara during his 2020–23 spell with the club.
Where has Martin Atanasov played club volleyball?
His senior career has included clubs in Bulgaria, Türkiye, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, Indonesia and Greece. His current club is Olympiacos ONEX.
What is Martin Atanasov’s Instagram?
His public Instagram account is @ma.atanasov. The handle has been directly identified in Bulgarian sports-media coverage featuring his Instagram posts.
References
- Olympiacos SFP — Martin Atanasov signing announcement for Olympiacos ONEX
- Olympiacos SFP — Martin Atanasov official 2026–27 player profile
- CEV — The Next Big Thing in Volleyball: Martin Atanasov
- CEV — Martin Atanasov EuroVolley 2026 player history
- Volleyball World — Martin Atanasov VNL 2026 player profile and statistics
- Volleyball World — Martin Atanasov 2025–26 SuperLega statistics with Vero Volley Monza
- Vero Volley — Martin Atanasov wins 2025 World Championship silver with Bulgaria
- Galatasaray — Martin Atanasov signing announcement and career honors
- Proliga — Martin Atanasov joins Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi for the 2026 Final Four
- VolleyWeek — Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi finishes runner-up in the 2026 Proliga final
- Sportal.bg — Martin Atanasov interview on family time and discovering gardening
- Volleybox — Martin Atanasov physical measurements and tournament record