Less than three weeks before the beginning of the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, one of the co-hosts, the Volleyball Federation of Slovenia (OZS) has announced Gheorghe Cretu as the new head coach of their national team.

The reigning European vice-champions are determined to improve on the 12th place at their maiden World Championship appearance in 2018. In line with the objective, Slovenia, who will host this year’s edition of the Men's World Championship alongside Poland, has called on the 54-year-old Romanian to take over the position from Australia’s Mark Lebedew.

"Being the head coach of the Slovenian national team will certainly be a completely different experience for me compared to my previous national team episodes. In Romania, I tried to bring the players back to the national team, because there were many problems with getting all the best players to play. In Estonia, I worked with young, promising players and over six years helped them to prove themselves on a bigger volleyball stage. With Slovenia, I have got experienced players who know how to play volleyball at the highest level, and who already have extensive experience from the biggest competitions,” Cretu said about his new role.

Cretu has coached at an international and club level for over 20 years. He claimed the CEV Volleyball European League in 2016 and 2018 with Estonia, while his most notable achievement is the 2022 CEV Champions League crown as head coach for Grupa Azoty Kedzierzyn-Kozle.

“My dedication to volleyball, my emotions and my love for this game are a huge part of what coaches can bring to the hall. Every moment inside and outside, I will try to pass these values on to the players and try to connect this team and my staff. As a coach, I'm known for focusing on the details, because seemingly insignificant things can make a decisive difference in the end,” added Cretu.

The Romanian volleyball expert can count on total dedication from the 14 players in the Slovenian roster as they prepare for the Men's World Championship. Captain Tine Urnaut was confident before the first training session under their new coach. "I am sure that Gheorghe will do everything so that we play the best possible volleyball. Already in the first moments, he showed that every time he steps into the hall, he wants to get the most out of the opportunity. He is demanding of himself and consequently also of everyone else. He is definitely someone who wants to help us get to the top level."

Quick links:
FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship Netherlands Poland 2022
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