BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Former Iranian coach Raul L. Lozano has been named as the first-ever foreign head coach of the Chinese men's volleyball team.
The Chinese Volleyball Association announced that the new coach and his team will be presented at a press conference on Wednesday.
Lozano, who had coached Iran in 2016 and led the team to fifth place at the 2016 Rio Olympics, replaced Xie Guochen, who was sacked after the Chinese team failed to book a berth in the Rio Olympics.
After the Rio Olympics, the CVA started a hunt for an experienced foreign coach.
Li Quanqiang, vice president of CVA, said that now is the right time to bring in a new coach with a fresh perspective.
"The men's team is very close to the Rio Olympics, so we believe a good coach will push the team an important step forward and led the team into the 2020 Olympics," said Li.
"And of course, we think that we can learn a lot from an experienced foreign coach, both for the Chinese players and the coaches," added Li.
