Coach Philip Blanc, who raised Japanese men's volleyball to the world-class level, delivered his last words.
Coach Blanc left his last greeting through the Japanese Volleyball Association on the 16th.
"Since 2017, we have made steady progress, especially since the end of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 2023 and 2024 were all the more special years," Blanc said. "Our journey ends today. We will continue to be fans of Japan."
Japanese men's volleyball has shown rapid growth. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in 29 years, won a bronze medal at the FIVB Volleyball Nations League in 2023, and is capable of taking over the world beyond Asia.
In 2024, he became the runner-up in the VNL competition, reaching No. 2 in the world rankings, and had high expectations for the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, he lost to Germany 2-3 in the first preliminary match of the Paris Olympics, and narrowly advanced to the quarterfinals as third place in the group, but was eliminated after losing to Italy. It was especially regrettable because he lost with three sets down from the set score of 2-0.
"Even if you want to win a medal at the Paris Olympics, which was the highest competition in Olympic history, and write a new history in Japanese volleyball, it is still difficult to overcome the pressure and maintain composure," Blanc said. "It is regrettable that I was the only one who did not win an Olympic medal. I am sad that I did not achieve my dream in Japan."
"In the quarterfinal match against Italy, the champion of the 2022 World Championship, Japan scored 114 points overall, while Italy scored 113 points. Incredible performances continued for two hours and 24 minutes. It is natural for them to feel disappointed by such results," he said. "No one can blame Yuki Ishikawa, who is a great captain and scored 32 points in the match against Italy. We have already written the history of Japanese volleyball many times. We are proud of all of our players."
Born in 1960, Blanc took the helm of the Italian club team from the 1991-92 season and became the leader. He also coached the national team and club teams in both France and Poland. After completing his trip with the Japanese team, he announced a new beginning as the head coach of Hyundai Capital in the Korean V-League in the 2024-25 season. While Blanc was away, Italian coach Fabio Storty led the team. Blanc will arrive in Korea on the 17th and join the team. 메이저사이트