TEHRAN – Mahmoud Afshardoost, member of the Islamic Republic of Iran Volleyball Federation (IRIVF) technical committee, says that the federation is determined to select new head coach on Sunday.

Team Melli are without a head coach since parting company with Behrouz Ataei in October 2023.

The Federation has not yet succeeded to find the new head coach for the National Team.

Vahid Moradi, caretaker of the federation, has a daunting task ahead for finding the best option since the sport is very popular in the country and the expectations are high.

“The federation has held many meetings so far to find the best replacement for Ataei but has failed to do that due to many issues,” the former coach of Iran volleyball team said in an exclusive interview with Tehran Times.

“The well-known coaches are currently working in the clubs and timing has been a serious problem for the federation. They are busy right now but after the volleyball leagues finished, they are eligible to negotiate for leading Team Melli,” Afshardoost added.

The member of technical committee hopes that the head coach of the national team will be chosen in the Sunday’s meeting.

“The officials of the federation, members of advisory council and the volleyball fans are unanimous that the next head coach must be among the best and it makes the job tough,” he stated.

“The national team will hold a training camp in mid-April and then will travel to Brazil for taking part at the 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL). I think it could be a good time for the team’s preparation for VNL,” Afshardoost concluded.