Olympic champion with the French team in 2021, Laurent Tillie becomes Japan coach

He takes over from Philippe Blain, also former coach of the France team, who was at the head of the Japanese team since 2021.

Japan becomes his second home. Laurent Tillie, Olympic champion in 2021 at the head of the French volleyball team, was appointed, Monday, November 25, to the post of coach of Japan, where he succeeds another Frenchman, Philippe Blain, from whom he had already taken the rest with the Blues in 2012. The duration of the contract was not specified by the Japanese Volleyball Federation (JVA).

“It’s a big challenge, not easy to take on, but a bright future awaits us with the help of the talented and experienced players and management. We can meet it.” declared Laurent Tillie, quoted by the JVA. At 60 years old, Laurent Tillie is thus extending his adventure in the land of the rising sun, since that is where he had already set down his bags, the day after the Olympic coronation in Tokyo, to take charge of the destiny of the Osaka Bluteon club, then under the name Panasonic Panthers.

When he was coach of the France team, Laurent Tillie led his team to its first titles: the Euro in 2015, then two World Leagues in 2015 and 2017, before experiencing the consecration of the 2020 Olympics in Japan.

The president of the Japanese Federation, Shunichi Kawai, “hoped that the fine knowledge [de Tillie] characteristics of Japanese players and teams, as well as their culture, allows Japan to go higher”. Coached by Philippe Blain, former coach of the Blues from 2001 to 2012, the Japanese selection finished twice on the podium of the World League (3rd in 2023 and finalist in 2024) but was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Italy in the tie-break at the Paris Games.