Iranian outside-hitter Hosseinkhanzadeh joins Qatar’s Al Arabi
Iranian international outside-hitter Poriya Hosseinkhanzadeh has signed for Qatar’s Al Arabi.
“Look who’s here, Poriya Hosseinkhanzadeh; welcome!” wrote the reigning Qatari Volleyball League (QVL) champion, ending weeks of speculation about the future of the Iranian volleyball star, who joins from Italian SuperLega heavyweight Lube Civitanova.
A former player of Foolad Sirjan and Shahdab Yazd in the Iranian top flight, the 21-year-old will be looking for a fresh start after receiving limited playing time over the past year and a half at Lube.
Hosseinkhanzadeh joined Lube last summer with high hopes, planning to develop at one of Europe’s top clubs. However, despite promises from the management and technical staff for more opportunities, he primarily served as a bench player and was unable to meet expectations.
Initially, rumors linked him to Russia’s Super League and Dynamo Ural, with preliminary agreements reportedly reached. However, the transfer ultimately fell through, costing him the opportunity to continue his career in one of top European leagues.
While Al Arabi is a prominent team in Qatar, the quality of competition is not comparable to Italy’s Serie A or even Iran’s Super League. The transfer represents a choice focused more on maintaining match rhythm and securing regular playing time rather than professional advancement at the highest level.
A world U21 champion with Iran in 2023, Hosseinkhanzadeh was a key player for the senior squad in last year’s Volleyball Nations League and the FIVB World Championship, where Iran reached the quarterfinals before falling to the Czechia.
Al Arabi, who beat Al Sadd in straight sets on Thursday, sits second in the QVL table with nine wins and 27 points from 11 games – trailing Al Wakrah by a single point.