TEHRAN - Iran's men's national volleyball team concluded the first week of the 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with a disappointing performance, finishing at the bottom of the table with just one point from four matches. Four defeats against Serbia, Italy, Cuba, and Argentina have raised concerns about the team's chances of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Team Melli, led by Brazilian coach Mauricio Motta Paes, had entered the competition with low chance but still had hopes of securing an Olympic berth. However, their poor showing has dashed those hopes and set off alarm bells among Iranian volleyball fans and experts.

Iran's four defeats, marred by uninspiring performances, have prompted calls for urgent action. Former national team coach Mahmood Afshardoost believes the team's struggles stem from long-standing issues.

“The national team's results in the first week of the VNL have warned Iranian volleyball,” Afshardoost said.

“But the alarms have not just started ringing now; they have been going off for the past four or five years, ever since the team's results against their rivals started to become very close,” he added.

Afshardoost identifies the team's recurring weaknesses as the root cause of their problems. “I watched the national team's matches in the first week of the VNL,” he explained. “I had predicted this before the games started. I realized that the national team's weaknesses include poor first reception, attacking, coordination in blocking, and floor defense. The national team trained, and the coaching staff worked hard, but this structure cannot be fixed with two or three weeks of training.”

Afshardoost also pointed to the pressure of qualifying for the Olympics as a contributing factor to the team's struggles.

“The volleyball community expects experienced players to perform better,” he said. “It was only in the match against Argentina that the first pass reached the setter and the attackers were fed. The existence of this problem in the first three games means something is wrong. Even Paes repeatedly warned the players. it is a deep-rooted problem that is hurting the team.”

The team's performance has sparked a debate about the future of Iranian volleyball. Some experts believe that drastic changes are needed, while others urge patience and continued support for the team.