Ferraro to remain as Argentina’s coach until Paris 2024

The former setter will continue to lead Las Panteras for three more seasons

Published 03:00, 10 Apr 2022

Ferraro has been in charge of Argentina since the end of 2018

After ensuring Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Marcelo Mendez will continue to lead Argentina’s men’s national team until the Paris 2024 Games, the country’s national federation has done the same for the women’s team by extending the contract of head coach Hernan Ferraro for the same period.

An Athens 2004 Olympian during his playing career, the 53-year-old Ferraro was appointed to the position in December 2018 and will remain at least until the end of the Paris 2024 Games.

Ferraro coached Las Panteras (The Panthers, in Spanish) to 11th place at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, in their second appearance at the Games. He also led the team to a tenth-place finish at the 2019 FIVB World Cup and was at the helm when the country won its first women’s medal at the Pan-American Games, a bronze in 2019.

“I’m very motivated by the number of young ladies that play volleyball in Argentina, their desire to be part of the national team and the hard work so many coaches do to grow women’s volleyball in our country,” Ferraro said.

Ferraro is lifted by the players after Argentina's victory at the South American Olympic Qualifier

The former setter, who also coaches Ciudad Voley’s men’s team and recently guided them to a victory in the Argentinean SuperCup, believes the key for the country to make it to a third-straight edition of the Olympics in two years' time, and to have consistent success in the future, is to invest in the youth system.

“We now have a programme that allows us to get to every corner of Argentina and to be closer to these young players,” he explained. “We want to work with them so our youth national teams have a larger player pool to work with. We need to have more players who are capable of playing internationally and also a stronger club league in our country.”

Ferraro’s main challenge with Argentina this season will be the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship 2022, which will take place in the Netherlands and Poland from September 23 through October 15. Argentina will be part of Pool D in the event, where they will compete with Brazil, China, Japan, Colombia and the Czech Republic.