Iran's captain, Marouf is grateful for the fans' support
Tehran, Iran, July 3, 2016: Iran beat Argentina 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 21-25, 25-22, 16-14) in Tehran on Sunday.
Luciano De Cecco, captain, Argentina: Congratulations to Iran! We had the opportunity to win, but playing at this stadium is so special. We no need to continue to be prepared for the Olympics.
Saeid Marouf, captain, Iran: I think both teams played at the same level. I do not want to talk about the game as everybody knows how important it was for both Argentina and Iran. It was the last match before the Olympic Games and was also important for the ranking. I want to talk about the inspiration that the people of Iran gave us during the World League since the beginning. They really helped us in a day when we really needed them. Although we did not get good results in the World League this year, they supported us and I really appreciate it. We had many injured players and had difficult situations with long travels. I believe we had good performance both in the Olympic Qualification games in Tokyo and in the World League.
Raul Lozano, head coach, Iran: Before I come to Iran I had heard about the Iranian fans and how they cheer their national players, but now I experienced it for 3 days and I am so happy. About the game today, I have to say it was a very difficult game for both teams with a lot of pressure. The game was at a high level of volleyball, but both teams were under pressure as they knew they are going to rival each other in the opening match of the Olympic Games. So they tried to get good results.