Turkey mentor Emanuele Zanini thinks just a few balls decided the qualification of Pool F
Istanbul, Turkey, June 21, 2015. Turkey finished its 2015 FIVB World League campaign with a five setter (25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-12) over Montenegro. Montenegro qualified for the Final Four in Slovakia despite losing its last Pool game.
Turkey coach Emanuele Zanini: "It was a very tough match. Even with the qualification to Final Four already decided, both teams wanted to win. There were up and downs for both sides because players are mentally and physically tired because of six games in nine days. They spent all their energy. We are satisfied to finish the tournament in Istanbul with three victories. I think Turkey and Montenegro are on the same level. A few balls in the first tournament decided the qualification."
Turkey captain Ulaş Kıyak: "We are happy to gain three victories in Istanbul but we were not able to qualify. We are very sorry. We wanted to reach Final Four in Slovakia. A few mistakes cost us a chance to be in the Final Four. But this was a good experience for our team, especially the young players."
Montenegro coach Slobodan Boskan: "It was a difficult match because our side was not competitive. I am overall satisfied with our performance, even if we didn’t win today. We look forward to preparing for the Final Four in two week time."
Montenegro captain Vojin Cacic: "It was a difficult match today because we didn’t have to play on full power and it is difficult to play that way, but 2-3 is not a bad result. We now have two weeks before the Final Four in Slovakia and we really look forward to as nobody expected to come this far through the tournament"