Iran in talks with Italian Lorenzetti for volleyball team job
Vahid Moradi, the caretaker of the Iranian Volleyball Federation, is in negotiations with Italian coach Angelo Lorenzetti over the men’s national team job.
The position has been vacant since October, after Behrouz Ataei stepped down from his role in the aftermath of a 3-1 defeat against the Czech Republic midway through the FIVB Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Rio de Janeiro.
An ex-head coach of the Italian under-21 team, Lorenzetti, 59, has spent the best part of his managerial career with the clubs in his home country – including Modena, Verona, Piacenza, and Trentino Itas.
The Italian steered Sir Sicoma Perugia to the Club World Champs crown earlier in December, thanks to a straight-set victory over Brazil’s Itambe Minas in the final in Bangalore, India.
Lorenzetti is the latest name in the list of the candidates for the Iranian job, also featuring former national team skipper and world-class setter Saeed Ma’rouf, Russian Vladimir Alekno, who was in charge of Iran at the Tokyo Olympics, as well as Italian Gianlorenzo Blengini and high-profile Belgian Vital Heynen – world champion with Poland in 2018.
The Iranian volleyball governing body said on Sunday that Moradi, who took over from Mohammadreza Davarzani after his four-year reign came to an end in November, will also have online sessions with a couple of the other coaches – including Heynen – in the coming days as the new head coach is expected to be unveiled before mid-January.
The new coach, whoever he might be, will be facing a mammoth task to lead Iran to a place in next summer’s Paris Olympics following a disappointing run in October’s qualifiers, which saw the Asian powerhouse finish second from bottom in the seven-team table.
With Germany, Brazil, Poland, Canada, USA, and Japan guaranteed an Olympic quota – courtesy of a top-two finish across the qualification pools – five remaining slots will be decided through the FIVB Men’s World Ranking by the end of the Volleyball Nations League preliminary round – starting May 21.
Egypt will likely take the African berth for the Games, with the other spots going to the four highest-ranked teams not qualified yet.
As it stands, Italy (third), Argentina (sixth), Slovenia (seventh), and Serbia (ninth) are the favorites to qualify, with Iran lagging behind in the 15th place.
Iran will be back in Rio de Janeiro for the VNL Week 1, drawn in the same pool with the host and 2021 champion Brazil, Japan – which marched to last year’s Finals before finishing third – Cuba, Germany, Serbia, Italy, and Argentina.
Week 2 of the preliminary phase puts Iran in the same pool with Japan, Brazil, newcomer Turkey, reigning champion Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Germany – starting June 4 in Japan, with the host city yet to be confirmed.
The third and the final week (June 18-25) will see Iran visit Manila in the Philippines, where massive showpieces against Japan, Canada, USA, the Netherlands, Brazil, Germany, and France could be on the cards for the Asian side.