Roberto Piazza: we need to learn how to finish sets
TEHRAN – Iran national volleyball team head coach Roberto Piazza admitted his side paid the price for the energy spent in the previous match, following a straight-sets defeat to Slovenia.
After Iran’s 3-0 loss, Piazza reflected on his team’s performance and the physical demands of the tournament.
“We came into this match after a very tough five-set win against Germany. That match could have been finished much earlier. In tournaments like this, when you have to play on consecutive days, every bit of energy you lose is gone. You simply cannot recover it all before the next match,” Piazza said.
Despite the defeat, the Italian coach praised his players’ commitment.
“This was all the energy we had, and I’m proud of my team because the players left everything they had on the court.”
Piazza highlighted Iran’s inability to close out tight sets as a recurring issue, pointing to the narrow losses of 27-25 and 26-24 against Slovenia.
“I want to review how many sets we’ve lost by just a couple of points. Today we were only one point away from winning several times. In the third set, for example, we were leading 24-23.”
Piazza believes the team’s mentality in key moments needs to change.
“The first thought is always that we have to finish the set on the very first opportunity. But we don’t have the patience to accept that maybe we won’t score on the first attack and that we’ll need a second or even a third chance,” the Italian coach added.
He believes that missed opportunities immediately increase the pressure on his players.
“When we fail to finish it the first time, we start putting ourselves under pressure because the first attempt didn’t work. That’s not the right mindset, and it’s my responsibility to change that habit.”
The 56-year-old coach stressed that responsibility lies with the team as a whole rather than any individual player.
“I’m not looking to blame anyone or point fingers. This is about the entire team. After the match I told the players that you can always look at a glass in two ways—half empty or half full. For me, it’s always half full.”
Piazza concluded by returning to the issue of physical fatigue.
“You asked me about our energy. Yes, we gave everything we had, but we were playing with limited reserves because we had spent so much against Germany. If we had managed that match better and finished it earlier, we would have been in a much better condition against Slovenia. That’s how I see it.”