Iran showcased its resilience for the second straight game, carving out another five-set victory—this time against higher-ranked Serbia—to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship last Tuesday.
The Iranians became the last Asian nation standing in the tournament after outlasting hosts Philippines in their final pool-phase game in another nail-biter last Thursday, 21-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-23, 22-20, to advance to the Round of 16.
While being dragged to the limit might worry some teams, Iran head coach Roberto Piazza saw it as an opportunity for his squad to demonstrate its character.
“Worried? No. I remember one player telling me during the game against the Philippines, ‘Coach, don’t be worried.’ I’ve never been worried in my life. We prepared the team—and all the coaches—to reach this level, to be able to play three games in a row. This is the mindset we are using in the tournament,” Piazza said after their 23-25, 25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 15-9 win over Serbia at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“These five-setters are the experiences we need to learn on the court. We have 11 completely new players, and until now, they are still not fully able to understand my volleyball language. That’s why I’m a little disappointed in them,” he added.
Piazza’s disappointment stemmed from his belief that the World No. 16 Iranians are capable of performing much better than they have shown so far in the 32-nation tournament.
After a brief moment of celebration following the Serbia match, Piazza immediately shifted focus to their next challenge: a clash with Czechia on Thursday, with a semifinals spot on the line.
“Sorry, I’ve already stopped celebrating. My players need to stop immediately too because our next opponent played earlier at 3:30. Their game was not as long as ours, so we have less time to recover, and we need to focus mentally on everything,” said Piazza, who was appointed Iran’s head coach in January this year.
Czechia will enjoy its best finish ever at the World Championship since becoming an independent nation, already assured of at least an eighth-place finish. Its previous best was 10th place in 2010.
The Czechs swept Tunisia in their Round of 16 matchup earlier in the day, 25-19, 25-18, 25-23, highlighted by a come-from-behind win in the third set.
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