France confirms Andrea Giani for the road to Los Angeles 2028 as women’s team prepare for a new era

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French volleyball is entering a new phase, with two very different challenges facing its senior national teams. The men have reinforced their position among Europe’s leading sides, while the women are preparing for a change in leadership.
For the French Volleyball Federation, the priority is to build on recent progress and create the conditions for sustained success ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

At the centre of the men’s project is Andrea Giani.
The Italian coach guided France to Olympic gold on home soil in Paris in 2024, and the team’s silver medal at the 2026 European Championship has provided further evidence of its ability to remain competitive during a period of generational transition. France finished tenth in the 2026 Volleyball Nations League before reaching the European final, where Poland claimed the title.
Marc Francastel, the federation’s director of performance, has expressed confidence in continuing the collaboration with Giani through the next Olympic cycle.
The two have already discussed the future, with the coach understood to be keen to complete the project he has begun with France’s emerging generation. The intention is to maintain stability around Giani and his staff as the team works towards Los Angeles, although any new contractual extension should be distinguished from the federation’s stated desire to continue the partnership.
One of the main tasks has been to balance experienced international players with younger talent. Leaders such as setter Antoine Brizard, outside hitter Trévor Clévenot and opposite Jean Patry have helped provide continuity, while younger players are gradually taking on greater responsibility. The European silver medal demonstrated that France can remain a contender even as its squad evolves.

The women’s programme faces a more immediate decision.
After two seasons under Spanish coach César Hernández, the federation announced that he would not be retained. France’s 2026 campaign proved difficult: the team finished seventeenth in the Volleyball Nations League and exited the European Championship in the round of 16 after losing to Greece.
The search for a successor will be about more than choosing a coach with a strong résumé. Francastel has emphasised the importance of practical experience at the highest level, a clear technical vision and the ability to manage the psychological demands of international competition. The federation has also indicated that coaching qualifications should not automatically outweigh proven expertise when assessing candidates, including those whose professional backgrounds do not fit every French qualification requirement.
The new coach will inherit a team that needs to turn its potential into more consistent results. France has already experienced the demands of major international tournaments, but the next step will require greater stability in performance and a clearer direction over the coming seasons.

The contrast between the two programmes is significant.
Giani’s men have a defined project and a recent run of major achievements to build upon; the women must now begin a new chapter after a season that fell short of expectations. Both, however, are working towards the same long-term objective: ensuring that French volleyball remains competitive on the international stage as the road to Los Angeles gathers pace.

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