I don't want to lose to Blanc. Korean Air's new director Henan declares war on friends
May 06, 2025
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Director Henan met with reporters prior to the event and thanked everyone. With the end of his contract with the Brazilian national team, the V-League was one of the leagues he really wanted to come to. I was so happy when the offer came from Korean Air. The contract (process) ended quickly, and it is an honor to be here now." The conditions presented by Korean Air expressed satisfaction by citing 'two thumbs'.
Henan is a world-renowned master. During his time as an active player, he played as the main outside heater of the strongest Brazilian national team. Even after transforming into a leader, he was recognized for his leadership by leading the team with prestigious Brazilian clubs Semed, Unisul, and Italy's Cicely Treviso. From 2017 to 2023, he led the Brazilian men's national team, the strongest men's volleyball team with world-class stars, and entered the V-League with results such as winning the 2019 World Cup, winning the VNL in 2021, and securing a berth to the 2023 Paris Olympics.
He has a brilliant career, but he expressed great excitement for the V-League challenge. Henan is also close to Hyundai Capital coach Philip Blanc, Woori Card coach Mauricio Paes, and men's national team coach Naaye Ramirez.
Henan, who said he got a lot of information from Ramirez and Blanc in the process of coming to the V-League, said "I played at the same time as Blanc. The growth process is almost the same for leaders. We talked a lot, too. "I also worked with coach Paes," he said with a big smile. "(I know a lot of people) Korea feels like home." Manager Henan said, `There are many volleyball leagues in the world, but there are not many strong leagues. I don't think the V-League is a strong league yet, but I think it's a league that has a good growth potentialThere are many players with good basic skills and skills in the V-League. I haven't seen all the players yet, but there are many good players in Korean Air as well."
In particular, veteran setter duo Han player and Yoo Kwang-woo are described as "tall setter and short setter" although the styles are different from each other, they are experienced and of good quality. He has excellent ability to run the game." He also highly appreciated the stable operation of Jeong Ji-seok and Jeong Han-yong, who have good receptions.
Henan declined to comment on his volleyball style. This means that Korean Air will make its own color. "It's hard to say right now the volleyball I'm pursuing this season. The characteristics or strengths of the players must be identified first. I'm this type of person, so I don't like volleyball" explains.
However, he is determined to rebuild his team through strong training. Korean Air won four consecutive games from 2023 to 2024, but lost to Hyundai Capital in the championship game last season. He "First of all, I'm going to train a lot. Training will be difficult. Personally, I think it takes a lot of training to improve," he stressed. Kim Kwan-woo, a tall setter who was selected as the first player in the rookie draft, added that he will grow through a lot of training.
Regarding Korean Air's generational change homework, which has a lot of veterans, "The team has a balance of experienced and young players." The V-League has a long and tight schedule. Veteran players alone cannot lead the season. We will narrow the gap between growing players while utilizing the performance of veterans.
He also did not hide his desire to return Korean Air to the championship. In order to do so, we need to overcome Hyundai Capital Blanc, who introduced himself as a "best friend". Henan said, `I don't want to lose to Blanc,' adding, `If it's a desire to win, it's the same for all coaches. However, the desire to win comes from training. I'll build a team through training."
In his first job, a foreign player tryout, he left all possibilities open, including Kyle Russell, who played as a substitute last season. "Russell is doing very well on serve, blocking, etc., and gives off a lot of energy on the court. Manager Henan, who evaluated himself as a "much improved player…", said, `I think the poor part of the championship game is the lack of time to work together. It's my first time at the tryout scene, so I came with a posture to watch and learn well."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
