Iran coach Paes shrugs off seniors withdrawal ahead of Volleyball Nations League
Iran’s head coach Mauricio Motta Paes said he was unfazed by the decision by some of the senior members of the national team to withdraw from international duty ahead of the upcoming Volleyball Nations League.
Veteran middle blocker Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi and prolific opposite spiker Amir Ghafour as well as libero Mahdi Marandi were all named the provisional list for the annual event before they announced their decision in recent days.
Speaking in his first press conference in Iran, the Brazilian coach said: “I don’t think the absence of star players would play a significant role as the important thing will be to build a decent squad. Many of these players were part of the team over the past two years but the results were still not good enough.”
“We don’t have much time to prepare and it is important for the players to play with their hearts. If a player does not believe in our goal, he would better be away from the team,” added Paes.
A former number two to fellow-Brazilian Bernardo Rezende on France bench in 2021 and 2022, Paes, 60, took over from Behrouz Ataei in February, after the Iranian stepped down from his role in the aftermath of a 3-1 defeat against the Czech Republic midway through last October’s FIVB Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Rio de Janeiro, where Iran finished second from bottom in the eight-team table and failed to secure direct qualification for the Paris Olympics.
As if Iran needed more motivation to go all out for success in this year’s Nations League, the remaining quotas for the Games in the French capital will be on the line when the preliminary round of the tournament gets underway in Antalya and Rio de Janeiro on May 21.
With Germany, Brazil, Poland, Canada, USA, and Japan having already joined host France, and Egypt likely to take the African slot for the Olympics, only four quotas remain up for grabs, which will be decided through the FIVB Ranking by the end of the VNL preliminary round on June 23.
As it stands in the ranking, third-placed Italy, Argentina (sixth), Slovenia (seventh), and Serbia (ninth) are the favorites to punch their Paris tickets, with Iran lagging behind in the 15th place.
However, Paes said he is “optimistic” about the daunting task on his hands.
“Everyone knows that Iran has top-notch players, specially in the age-group levels. The mission ahead of us is surely a tough one but we all believe our goal is achievable and I feel optimistic about steering the team toward that objective,” Paes said.
Asked if Iran needs a miracle to qualify for the Olympics, Paes said: “I think there is no such thing as miracle in sports and if it is going to be an impossible mission it will apply to all the other teams chasing the Olympic berth.”
Paes still refused to make any promises about the quest for a place in Paris, saying: “All I can say is that I will put in all my efforts into the job. What is clear is that we will work hard together as a team and if we don’t win that would probably be because our opponent has been a better team.”
Iran will begin its VNL campaign against Serbia on May 22 in Rio de Janeiro before taking on Italy, Cuba, and Argentina in Week 1.