Expectations for foreign coaches
The appearance of Mr. Federico Rampazzo is not simply a change on the coaching bench. This is a signal that the men's volleyball team needs a strong boost after a long time of not being able to create a breakthrough.
Unlike the women's team, which has formed a stable framework and has many faces capable of international competition, men's volleyball still lacks stability in major tournaments. The gap with Indonesia or Thailand cannot be filled, especially in the speed of ball deployment, the ability to serve pressure and bravery at decisive moments.
Therefore, coach Rampazzo is expected to bring a new approach. Italian volleyball inherently values tactical discipline, system organization ability and efficiency in each handling situation.
If applied appropriately, this could be a foundation to help the Vietnamese men's team improve weaknesses that have existed for many years such as unstable competition, dependence on personal inspiration and not maintaining a high-intensity playing rhythm.
SEA V.League is the first test
The gathering to prepare for SEA V.League 2026 is not only of short-term professional significance, but also the first test for how coach Federico Rampazzo views the current force.
This gathering list includes many familiar faces such as Duong Van Tien, Dinh Van Duy, Nguyen Ngoc Thuan, Tran Duy Tuyen, Tran Hoai Phuong, Pham Quoc Du, Tran Anh Tu or Tran Minh Duc... They have shown their ability at the national championship, but when entering the international arena, the requirements will be much stricter.
SEA V.League 2026 has 6 participating teams including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines and Myanmar. Each leg, the national team can only register a maximum of 14 players, meaning that Mr. Rampazzo must not only choose the best player, but also choose the players most suitable for his tactical intentions.
With the Vietnamese men's team, the problem is not the lack of outstanding individuals. What is more important is whether those individuals are placed in a clear enough system or not.
A strong main attacker, a counter-attaquant with bounce or a experienced setter can only be maximized when the whole team operates synchronously from step one, defense in the back row to organizing counter-attacks.
Cannot just rely on "foreign teacher effect
However, placing expectations on foreign coaches also needs to be accompanied by vigilance. A coach, even with good expertise, cannot change the entire face of the team after only a few weeks of concentration.
Vietnamese men's volleyball needs more than one contract. That is a better youth training system, a more competitive national championship and a continuous personnel selection process.
Coach Rampazzo can bring new lesson plans, new standards and new perspectives. But for those changes to become results, players must adapt quickly, the domestic coaching staff must coordinate effectively, and the Federation needs to create conditions for the team to compete and rub shoulders regularly.
Therefore, SEA V.League should only be considered a starting point. The results in this tournament are important, but what is more concerning is what face the Vietnamese men's team will show, is it more organized or still disjointed, will serving create more pressure, will blocking and defensive ability improve, will positions have more coherent coordination or not.
If those changes appear, even if the achievements have not immediately broken through, it is still a positive sign for a long-term process.
Vietnamese men's volleyball once had times of being expected, but has not maintained a sufficiently sustainable development momentum. The appearance of coach Federico Rampazzo can be seen as a necessary "gamble", but not a risky gamble if placed in a clear strategy.
What the team needs at this time is not just a few short-term victories, but a change in training and competition standards. When each player understands their role, a healthy competitive squad and tactics no longer depend on individual explosions, Vietnamese men's volleyball will have a basis to think about real progress.
Of course, Mr. Federico Rampazzo is facing an uncomfortable task. These challenges also open up opportunities for the Vietnamese men's team to innovate themselves.
