The 56-year-old Romanian Gheorghe Crețu has been appointed as the first head coach of the Serbian men's national team. Currently,Crețu is the coach of the Polish SKRA Bełchatów, where Serbians Miran Kujundžić and Pavle Perić play, as well as Bulgarian Radoslav Parapunov.
- First, it is a great honor for me to be the coach of the Serbian national team! To be a coach in such a sporting nation as Serbia is truly very special for me, but I would say it would be special for any coach in the world.
I know the players very well; at this level, we are all familiar with the details of each team. If my memory serves me right, in the last two years, I played four times against Serbia (as coach of Slovenia). To be honest, I don't know the younger volleyball players well, but I will do my best to get to know them.
My plan is to bring new players into the team in specific positions and gradually integrate them into the squad. Together with other more experienced players, we will find the right path. I know this is a big challenge, but that's exactly why I accepted it! - Crețu emphasized in his first statement to the Serbian media.
The former blocker for Dinamo Bucharest, German Lohoff, and Austrian Hotvolley Vienna, Sokol Vienna, and Union Perchtoldsdorf, began his coaching career in the Austrian clubs where he played, and in the 2007/2008 season, he was the coach of the Romanian national team. Crețu led the Estonian national team from the bench from 2014 to 2019, with whom he won bronze at the FIVB Challenger Cup 2018, as well as two gold medals, respectively in 2016 and 2018 in the European and European Golden League.
Gheorghe Crețu has been the coach of Slovenia since 2022, with whom he won the bronze medal at the European Championship in 2023.
During his career, Crețu won the Romanian championship title, twice the Austrian championship, and the Austrian Cup.
As coach of Hotvolley Vienna, he won two championship titles (2003 and 2004) and the Austrian Cup (2004).
He won the Emir's Cup in 2014 with Al Arabi Doha and the Russian Cup in 2020 with Kuzbass Kemerovo.
He was named Coach of the Year in Estonia in 2017 and 2018.
Gheorghe Crețu succeeds Igor Kolaković as the head coach of Serbia.
He achieved his greatest coaching successes in the 2012/2022 season as coach of the Polish team ZAKSA, with whom he won the "triple crown" - the Polish championship and cup and the CEV Champions League.
Crețu was named the best volleyball coach in Europe in 2022.
