The federation’s official website wrote on Monday that Lozano’s mission would be securing a place for Iran in Brazil Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Mr. Lozano had as a serious rival Italian Andrea Anastasi, Iran’s second candidate name for the position, now vacant as Serbian Kovač was sacked after Iran’s disappointing performance in World Cup earlier this year, which was team’s nadir of career. Iran’s federation hit a preliminary agreement with both candidates; however, the condition was that whoever arrives in Tehran ahead of the other candidate, would win the position. Iran’s volleyball squad will play for Asian single quota in Olympics 2016 in May 2016 in Japan. The best team will won the quota.
Argentine Lozano, 59, replaces Slobodan Kovač, whom was sacked despite his contract with federation until Rio Olympics 2016; “with only tepid performance by Iran in international matches, the federation entered into a hectic campaign to elicit the opinions of experts, volleyball veterans, federation board of directors, and the media to select the national squad manager; to do so, it ended with reaching to two final candidates after much deliberation and examining the performance record of many famous names,” wrote the website report. Lozano’s compatriot Juan Manuel Cichello, former manager of Iran’s volleyball national squad, will be his aid.
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