Iran coach Piazza prioritizes LA 2028 goal over VNL results
Iran head coach Roberto Piazza shrugged off his team’s slow start to the FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League, outlining a long-term vision centered on qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Iran began the preliminary phase in Brasilia with successive defeats against South American powerhouse Brazil (3-1) and Bulgaria (3-0), before bouncing back to defeat Argentina in straight sets.
Piazza’s side then fell to Belgium in a five-set thriller, after which the Italian regretted his team’s excessive number of service errors in the decisive set, as Iran finished Week 1 in 15th place in the 18-team preliminary standings.
“We have started another Volleyball Nations League campaign and changed many players, but the biggest change that must happen is in our minds,” Piazza said. “We need to accept some mistakes and refuse to repeat others,” added the Italian, whose team is in Belgrade for a training camp ahead of Week 2.
Despite his team’s difficult run in the Brazilian capital, the Italian coach reiterated that he is not focused on short-term results, emphasizing that every match and training session is part of a broader project leading to the Olympics in two years.
“As I said a long time ago, I am not thinking about the final results.” Piazza stated. “My final result is the goal that I want to achieve; LA 2028. That is the ultimate goal. So, each moment is a good moment for being a little bit better, and if we manage to do that, results will be around the corner.”
Assessing Iran’s performances in the Brazilian capital, Piazza said his team is “among the top six or seven teams in the competition” in side-out situations.
“It means our setter is able to set. I know a lot of people in Iran don’t like him. I know that all of them are amazing in understanding volleyball, but he is currently one of the best setters in the world when it comes to side-out situations,” the Italian said of his first-choice setter, Arshia Behnejad, while identifying the team’s major struggle in transition and recycled-ball situations, a weakness that applies to “the team as a whole.”
The coach pointed to Iran’s recent match against a full-strength Brazilian side as evidence of the team’s growing competitiveness.
“I am disappointed because my feeling was that we could beat at their home. They were so afraid. We lost the first and fourth sets, and on both occasions, we gave away a four-point advantage.”
Asking for Iranian fans’ continued patience and confidence in the team’s long-term progress, Piazza said: “We need your support, for sure, and we feel your support. In the end, we will try to do our best. I know that trying is enough; we need to do something special, but I trust these guys.”
Iran will resume action on Wednesday with a daunting test against reigning Olympic champion France, which will also be looking to improve on a disappointing 1-3 record, in the French city of Orléans. Iran will also take on the United States and Japan, which is unbeaten in the preliminary phase, before wrapping up Week 2 against Cuba next Sunday.
Chasing a first VNL Finals appearance in four years, Iran will return to the Serbian capital for the third and final week of the preliminary phase, which will feature a match against Ukraine on July 15, followed by encounters with Germany (July 16), Slovenia (July 17) and Turkey (July 19).
As far as a place at the Olympic Games is concerned, the best opportunity for Iran will come at September’s Asian Championship in Fukuoka, Japan, where the champion will also secure early qualification for the multi-sport event.