Gulinelli signs deal to coach Piraeus team
Italian volleyball coach Flavio Gulinelli signed a contract with Greek champion Olympiakos, the Reds announced yesterday, in what will be the 52-year-old’s second stint in this country. He is replacing Yiannis Kalmazidis, who led Olympiakos to a 3-1 triumph in the league final series over Panathinaikos this season. The Italian had agreed to join the Piraeus side some time ago but it was only yesterday that the club announced the signing of a year-long deal. Gulinelli coached Iraklis in 2009 and led the Thessaloniki club to the final of the Champions League but ended the season without any silverware. In 1998 he won the World Championship with the Italian national side. Olympiakos has also extended the contract of international blocker Andreas Andreadis, who has reportedly accepted a pay cut. The new season will be the second for Andreadis in Piraeus after transferring to Olympiakos from Panathinaikos in the summer of 2009. In the draw for the first European Cup ties involving Greek sides, Aris will face Estonia’s Selver Tallinn and Lamia will play Spain’s Unicaja Almeria in November. In the Challenge Cup, EA Patras will play Cyprus Cup holder AE Karava.
