It's never easy to discuss these topics. I won't mention the names, as we're negotiating with a specific group of players. It's five players with whom we want to reach an agreement regarding their future at Korona. I'm an optimist, as I belong to those who want to approach this in a rational manner. These players have their ambitions, and sitting on the bench and lacking regular playing time won't help them develop. Each of them understands the gravity of the situation - said Korona Kielce's sports director Paweł Golański a few days ago. He didn't reveal their names back then, but on Friday, part of the mystery was solved. Korona announced in an official statement that it has parted ways with two players - Viktor Popov and Vladimir Nikolov. The contracts of both Bulgarian players were terminated by mutual agreement. Both Popov and Nikolov joined Korona last summer. And, to put it mildly, they didn't exactly set the pitch on fire. Nikolov, in theory, was a striker, but in practice, he was a total flop. He was associated with everything except scoring goals. In the first part of the season, he played regularly, but after Mariusz Stępiński's arrival, he was relegated to the bench. Nikolov played 28 matches for Korona and scored one goal. And that's how he played under coach Jacek Zieliński more than his fellow countryman Popov. Popov suffered a injury at the beginning of the season, eventually joined the team, and in the autumn round, he played in ten matches. However, in 2026, he didn't appear on the pitch even once. Nikolov had a contract until June 30, 2028, while Popov's contract was shorter by one year.