Learning Korean and praising Park Chul-woo from the start... Respect shown by KB Insurance head coach Isanay Ramirez to Korean coaches: "I didn't come here to divide, but to add"

*This content was translated by AI.

Isanay Ramirez (43, Brazil), who led the Korean Nam Ja-bae-gu (CEO) team for three years before entering the V-League as head coach of KB Insurance, made no deliberate distinction between foreign and Korean coaches. Instead, he first expressed respect toward Korean coaches.

Ahead of the 2026~2027 season kickoff ceremony held on the 5th at the Nambu Culture and Arts Center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, head coach Ramirez met with reporters and was asked what kind of impact a foreign coach could have on Korean volleyball.

Among the seven teams in the men's division of the 2026~2027 V-League season, four are led by foreign coaches. Following Korean Air under Hernan Dal Zotto (66, Brazil), Hyundai Capital under Philippe Blain (66, France), and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance under Tomi Tilikainen (39, Finland), KB Insurance joined the ranks with the appointment of head coach Ramirez. While recent foreign head coaches have achieved good results, drawing attention to new coaching methods and tactics, there is also a view that they produced results because they took over teams that were already strong to begin with.

Head coach Ramirez drew a line against ranking foreign and domestic coaches in terms of superiority. He first mentioned Park Chul-woo (41), head coach of Woori Card. Head coach Park Chul-woo served as acting head coach from the fourth round of last season, recording 14 wins and 4 losses with a winning percentage of 77.8% in the regular season, including an undefeated record on the road, leading a team that was sixth in the first half to the spring playoffs. Shin Young-cheol (62), who newly took over as head coach of OK Savings Bank last season, also showed potential by recording 17 wins and 19 losses with 50 points, achieving a winning percentage close to.500. In particular, in their first season after relocating to Busan, they went 13-5 at home, keeping the competition for spring playoffs alive until the end of the season.

Head coach Ramirez said, "Last season, Park Chul-woo's head coach reached the playoff stage with good coaching, and I think OK Savings Bank also showed a lot of really good form in the first half." He added, "I don't know all Korean coaches well, so I do not want to evaluate people. I am here to do my job and want to give my best for KB Insurance."

For Korean coaches, head coach Ramirez is a colleague who has been working together to restore the international competitiveness of Korean men's volleyball over the past three years, before being a competitor. He took the helm of the Korean Nam Ja-bae-gu (CEO) team in 2024 and achieved results including a runner-up finish at this year's Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup, a championship title at the East Asian Championships, and third place at the Asian Men's Volleyball Championship. Through these achievements, Korea also secured a qualification spot for the 2027 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Men's Volleyball World Cup.

Head coach Ramirez, who completed his national team tenure at the end of the 4th, immediately signed a contract with KB Insurance and became its 12th head coach. While the stage changed from the national team to the V-League, his connection with Korean volleyball continued as is.

Head coach Ramirez said, "I want to express great respect to many Korean coaches. They gave me a lot of help when I was the national team head coach," adding, "We also worked with Korean coaches on the national team, and they were very good coaches."

He then stated, "I don't want to divide anything. I came here to add one (I'm not here to divide. I'm here to sum)," revealing, "I absolutely do not think I am better than anyone else. As a member of KB Insurance, I want to fulfill my role so that the team can become one step stronger."

This meant he came to be part of the V-League that domestic and foreign coaches would create together. Head coach Ramirez said, "I want to combine positive elements and the knowledge held by staff to produce good results. KB Insurance also has really good domestic staff." He further emphasized, "Once again, I want to convey that I have great respect for Korean coaches and Korean assistants."

Efforts to understand Korean volleyball continue off the court as well. Head coach Ramirez started studying Korean from last season. Although he still has difficulty reading Korean, understanding exact meanings, or pronouncing it, he is learning a little bit every day.

Head coach Ramirez said, "I started learning Korean from last season. I can read a little, but understanding what it means is still difficult," adding, "While I cannot become Korean, I think it is also important to show through my attempt to read and use Korean that 'this person is really trying to understand the country of Korea.'"

He is also consistently continuing his study of Korean. He started taking Korean lessons from an acquaintance of mixed Korean and Brazilian descent, and in daily life, he studies by reading with Korean staff members. Head coach Ramirez now plans to request assistance so that he can take Korean lessons at KB Insurance as well.

He said, "At KB Insurance, if the opportunity arises, I would like to take classes where I can learn Korean. I really want to learn Korean," adding, "I want to learn Korean well enough to communicate with you more freely and smoothly. It is a challenge, but it is a challenge I want to take." He then added with a smile, "Just give me some time."

His family is also expected to join him in his life in Korea. His wife and youngest son plan to come to Korea in December. His daughter is also playing volleyball, and his eldest son has started his career as a setter for a Brazilian professional team. Head coach Ramirez said, "My family is scheduled to come to Korea around December. Because we haven't seen our family for a long time, everyone was very happy about the opportunity to be together again," adding, "Our whole family is a volleyball family. All my children play volleyball. It seems like it will be an interesting experience for us to have our family together in Korea."

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*This content was translated by AI.