TEHRAN - Italian coach Alberto Giuliani is a serious candidate for taking charge of Iran men's national volleyball team.

The 60-year-old currently leads Modena Volley.

Iran parted company with Behrouz Ataei in October following poor results in the 2023 Volleyball Nations League.

Italian coach Angelo Lorenzetti, Roberto Piazza, Russian Vladimir Alekno, Belgian Vital Heynen and Saeid Marouf were among the candidates for the job.

Iran's chances of reaching the 2024 Paris Olympics are slim due to poor results in the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League and the Olympic qualifiers.