Ataei to stay on as Iran volleyball head coach
Behrouz Ataei will continue as the head coach of Iran national team despite a poor run at the ongoing Volleyball Nations League, said Mohammadreza Davarzani, the chairman of the sport’s governing body in the country.
Iran ended up third from bottom in the 16-team table of the preliminary round – the lowest finish for the Asian powerhouse in the history of the competition – failing to book a place in the VNL Finals.
Sunday’s five-set defeat against Cuba was a 10th loss in 12 outings for Ataei’s men, who only managed to come out on top against China (3-1) and Germany (3-0).
An under-par campaign saw Iran being beaten in straight sets by Japan, Slovenia, Italy, USA, and France, while leaving the court with the minimum point in five-set losses to Poland, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and Argentina in the buildup to Sunday’s setback.
While some volleyball veterans and pundits have questioned Ataei’s decision-makings in this year’s event, the Iranian might feel unlucky not to have a full-strength squad at his disposal throughout the three weeks.
Integral outside hitter and team captain Milad Ebadipour missed the tournament for family reasons, while prolific opposite Amin Esmaeilnejad and first-choice setter Mohammad-Taher Vadi – as well as Ataei himself – did not make the trip to Anaheim, California, for Week 3 after being denied US entry visas.
Asked in a televised interview if the federation is considering a change on the Iranian bench, Davarzani said: “I don’t think it’s a proper time for a change. There’s no doubt the Iranian fans are not satisfied with the results but that doesn’t necessarily mean the head coach is the only one to blame for that.”
Davarzani still did not rule out making additions to Ataei’s technical staff, saying: “We will be looking to bring in a world-class assistant to bolster the coaching team. That’s the same model adopted by Japan.”
The head of the federation, however, insisted that Ataei will have the final word on who will join his staff.
When Ataei – Iran’s U21 coach during the 2019 world title-winning campaign – replaced Russian Vladimir Alekno after the Tokyo Olympics, he became the first domestic coach for the national team for more than a decade.
The Iranian led the country to the crown at the Asian Championships in 2021, before his young, new-look side made it to the VNL quarterfinals last year, only to suffer a 3-2 defeat against European powerhouse Poland.
Ataei then guided his team to the last 16 in the 2022 World Championships before being knocked out by Brazil.
Major international events will come thick and fast in the coming months for Ataei and his men, who will host the Asian Championships in Urmia – starting August 19 – before heading to Hangzhou, China, for September’s Asian Games.
The hectic schedule will conclude with a visit to Rio de Janeiro in late September, where Iran will take on Germany, Ukraine, Qatar, the Czech Republic, Italy, Brazil, and Cuba in the Paris Olympic qualification event.