Iran are currently 15th in the World Ranking as well and this is not the place where their new head coach wants them to be. For the most part of the 2023 season, they were a top 10 team, and the last time they were in the top eight was during the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
“My first dream and desire is to be constantly in the first eight teams in the World Ranking,” Roberto Piazza told Volleyball World shortly after accepting the new job.
The 56-year-old Italian is taking over the Iranian national team with a four-year perspective, geared towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, and the long-term term target being the team’s return to Olympic participation after missing out on Paris 2024 this year. Iran made their Olympic debut at Rio de Janeiro 2016, where they reached the quarterfinals, and also played at Tokyo 2020, registering a ninth place finish. Short term, Piazza’s first objectives will be associated with next year’s Volleyball Nations League and, of course, the 2025 World Championship in the Philippines.
At this point, Piazza did not reveal whether any major changes in the squad should be expected under his mandate.
“It’s really too soon to talk about the players,” he said. “Many of them will play in different leagues and we have to select the best ones for each position.”
