V-League in the eyes of foreign coaches
“The salary of a V-League player is amazing.”
The V-League of Professional Volleyball is in the heyday of foreign coaches. In the 2024-2025 V-League, a total of six teams out of 14 teams in men’s and women’s volleyball will challenge for the championship race under the leadership of foreign coaches, which is the largest number of foreign coaches in history.
Three foreigners have stayed in the V-League after completing the 2023-2024 season. In written interviews, they asked Tommy Tilikainen, manager of Korean men’s volleyball, Ogiino, manager of OK Financial Group, and Marcello Avon terminal, manager of Heungkuk Life Insurance, women’s volleyball, about the V-League.
The part that surprised foreign managers the most after entering the V-League was the annual salary of players. Avon Danza said, “The average annual salary seems to be an unrealistic number compared to that of Europe.” Based on the criteria for player registration during the 2023-2024 season, the average annual salary for men is 229 million won (29,000 U.S. dollars) and that for women is 152 million won (167,000 dollars). The figure is estimated to exceed the estimate of average annual salary for players in Europe’s top leagues. The league is also concerned about the rapid rise in player’s ransom due to the introduction of the FA system and excessive competition among teams due to insufficient pool of players. “The annual salary was very surprising, and even compared to the Japanese pro team, it was surprising,” Ogino said.
Coach Avon Dan-ja also criticized the salary, saying, “There seems to be a little bit of inequality in the difference in the salaries of the women’s and men’s teams or the different systems in the world these days,” and “The FA system does not help raise the level of players.”
The V-League’s performance is still far from global level given its box office performance and annual salary. However, foreign managers assessed that there are many positive factors that could lead to a larger league. When asked about the attractiveness of the V-League, Tilikainen said, “It has a wonderful environment. The system that broadcasts volleyball every day will be an opportunity to further popularize the sport.” Avon Danza recalled, “We have passionate fans, high-level media, and events.”
Foreign coaches are similarly agonizing over the V-League’s performance. Many critics say that the growth of young players entering the V-League is not meeting expectations, and due to lack of players, it is not easy to strengthen the team’s capacity just by supplying players. Foreign coaches also voice the need for a free contract system for foreign players to improve performance. The V-League has recruited foreign players as free agents, but the women’s team changed the system to a tryout system from 2015-2016 and the men’s team from 2016-2017. “If we directly select foreign and Asian players who are needed for our teams instead of tryouts, the V-League will become more active,” Ogiino said. Avon Danza also said, “We also need to increase the number of foreign players and raise the level of the league.”
Some said that the schedule for the V-League, in which players play 36 games per team, is tight at a time when players are already weak. “In terms of games, I think having a longer term between games will help improve performance and quality of games,” Avon Danza said. “It is not easy for each team to play six games in a seven-team league. What if we play a postseason after the fourth round (currently in a six-round system)?”
Some also argue that overseas exchanges should be expanded in order to enhance the V-League’s competitiveness in the long term. Avon Danza said, “There are a few players who are paying attention to women’s volleyball. However, the Korean volleyball system cannot help these players advance to overseas leagues. There are very few cases of players, coaches, or overseas leagues.” Tilikainen also advised that exchanges between leaders are needed, and that more opportunities should be created for club teams as well as national teams to play more international matches.
In fact, unlike the popularity of the V-League, Korean volleyball is agonizing over the lack of competitiveness of the national team. Victory will fade in a match for the national team. The growth of young V-League players and strengthening of their performance are considered tasks that the volleyball community must hurry to solve. “The national team must build its own style and system to gain the upper hand over the taller team. It is impossible to grow taller, but it is always possible to learn new skills and find the moment when you can use your skills better,” coach Tilikainen said. “I think I have enough personal skills such as height and power (which everyone evaluates as insufficient). Efforts are needed to upgrade individual skills and skills and team organization,” he said. “There are young players with good qualities in Korean volleyball as well. Young players like Japan will get better with experience.”
BY: 스포츠토토핫