Igor Arbutina has been appointed as the new coach of the Croatian women’s national team.
Upon his introduction at the Croatian Volleyball Federation, Arbutina expressed immense excitement and motivation for his new role. He thanked the Federation for the opportunity and honor, looking forward to working with the national team. “After two decades overseas, this is a great pleasure for me,” Arbutina said. He believes that with the current players and integrating young talents who have shown promise in junior teams, Croatia can achieve excellent results and benefit the nation’s volleyball in the long term.
Arbutina’s career in coaching started in 1992 with roles at Croatian clubs such as OK Karlovac, HAOK Mladost, and OK Vazrazdin. From 1997 to 2002, he held the position of assistant coach for the Croatian national team, eventually rising to the role of head coach. His professional journey then led him to Germany, where he coached at MSC Moers and Rote Raben Vilsbiburg, followed by a move to Qatar. In Qatar, he coached several clubs and spent five years as the head coach of the men’s national team.
Frane Žanić, the president of the Croatian Volleyball Federation, views the appointment of Arbutina as a step forward in their strategy. “Igor is the perfect fit for our objectives of revitalizing the team and aiming for milestones such as qualifying for the 2026 European Championship and re-entering the top 20 in global rankings,” Žanić remarked. He highlighted the significance of the national team in shaping players’ careers and mentioned that Arbutina will keep a close eye on emerging talents from the U18 and U20 teams, who have already gained recognition in global and European competitions.
