Despite the early hour and heavy rain around 150 volleyball fans gathered at the Ljubljana airport. Slovenia’s heroes were also greeted by Slovenia’s Olympic Committee president, Bogdan Gabrovec, and vice-president Iztok Čop.

Coach Andrea Giani got the biggest applause as fans chanted his name. "It wasn’t a miracle. The boys have great potential. Volleyball is a team sport. It requires a lot of discipline, effort and work which you then have to put together. At the same time we also need to bear our defeats," said Giani. And which match was the most difficult? "The match against Poland was the most difficult and most important. After a match like that a team gets momentum and goes all the way." Giani plans to stay with the team, however he could not say for how long: "I have a contract with Slovenia’s volleyball federation. A few other goals still have to be fulfilled. It’s difficult to say how long and you never know what life brings."

For team captain Urnaut it was difficult to find words: "Fantastic. There are no words with which I can describe this. These are the best feelings in the career of any athlete. We’re very happy that you have all come to welcome us in such numbers. In every match, for every set and every point, we left our hearts on the court. I’m proud of all of us, the players, the coaching staff and the fans."