Category: Blog

A repeat of Dehdari era revolt.

The revolt of players or players’ power, whichever one wants to call it, is nothing new in Iran’s Team Melli. Nothing, however, was more famous, that the mass protest of players against Parviz Dehdari in the mid 80’s.

Parviz Dehdari was as much a gentleman of ethics, morality, and good behavior as a football coach. He was known among those who knew him that the ethics and values of sports were driven by the mood of the people who would exercise his moral teachings.

As a player and a successful coach with clubs like Persepolis, Homa and Team Melli , there was no person as honest, principled, and respected as Dehdari. With strict discipline along with fairness and impartiality, he was quite revered and feared by the players at the same time. However, there are alway one or two players who won’t like strong leadership and think they are above the law and more favorable than the coach.

There was a player called Mohammad Panjali who had these ideas of grandeur and at the time believed he was above the laws of discipline. Panjali was the Captain of Team Melli when Dehdsari was the head coach. Panjali was getting on while Dehdari was looking at young blood for the future of the team. The wise man of football, or Ustad as many called him, quietly dealt with the issue by benching Panjali during the opening match against Japan in the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. Korea. Panjali did not like that and demanded that he plays in the starting line-up.

On the return flight back home, 15 players submitted their resignation letters to the federation. Sirous Ghayeghran quickly withdrew his signature to leave 14 players on the list. Those players thought that the football federation would have no choice but to support them by removing Dehdari and his colleagues, including Reza Vatankhah, and appointing another person as the head coach, but that did not happen.

This mass resignation which was instigated by Panjali, became one of the darkest events in Iran’s football. Credit t the Federation, they stuck with Dehdari against half of the squad.

One of those 14 players who resigned back in 1986 was Morteza Fonoonizadeh. The Persepolis veteran of Persepolis commented on the recent drama in Team Melli and the subsequent retention of Dragan Skocic:

“I approved Mr. Skocic from day one. He worked hard to win qualification for Team Melli to the World Cup in the easiest way. I even asked to have a birthday party for Mr. Skocic and pay for it.  The board of directors and the technical committee were at odds with each other and finally did not reach an agreement.”

Fonoonizadeh was asked to comment on the similarity between the current Team Melli situation with the differences between the players regarding the coach and the situation back in 1985 when he was involved in the mass resignation in protest against the legendary Dehdari: “Yes, I was one of the fourteen players and it was by far the worst mistake of my career. I was 22 years old and I was one of the fix players on the team. I just got it wrong. Team Melli is not the legacy of anyone’s father. No one has the right to such claims. No player is as important as the team. Now that someone says I don’t want Skocic and someone says I do, should we fire everyone? You fired him once and brought him back again. As soon as you brought him back, you ruined it.”

“He may be the best player in Europe, but the most important thing is to preserve the sanctity of the national team. The player’s duty is not to pick the coach, it is not why he is in Team Melli. We tried to do this to Mr. Dehdari a few years ago, and they kicked us out one by one while the federation kept Mr. Dehdari. He (Dehdari) was a gentleman through and through and had no grudges against anyone. He only demanded an apology to the people of Iran, not himself,  and he would take those who apologized back to the team.  We did that in an open letter published in the newspaper and mentioned that we were wrong. I, Farshad Pious, and Karim Bavi were taken back in Team Melli.

After this incident, Dehdari built a new team and a new generation of footballers was born. The young Team Melli won third place in the AFC Asian Cup 1988. Instead of those who were banned from Team Melli, Dehdari introduced players such as Abedzadeh, Zarincheh, Marfavi, etc., who became the main pillars of Iranian football. Despite finishing third in the Asian Cup, he was targeted by fans who considered club allegiance bove the national team. He was subjected to obscenities from some fans as a reward for building a young team and getting rid of rebel players. He resigned before the start of the FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers in 1990 . Dehdari finally passed away on November 23, 1992, due to kidney complications.

Team Melli instability continues to raise concerns.

The countdown to the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has reached 134. While all the teams in the most important football tournament in the world have prepared their plans with the necessary support, resources, and detailed requirement in order to get the best performance tout of their teams, the case in Iran is quite different.

Team Melli is facing many challenges and struggling despite the fact that they qualified early and with many matches to spare. The crisis began after the dismissal of the Head of the federation, it is now embroiled in rumors of the impending dismissal of Dragan Skocic from his post as head coach of the national team.

“Behind the scenes, the intervention of people outside the football federation to bring about change has put undue pressure on the federation. Controversially several players of Team Melli are playing significant roles to push for change. Mirshad Majedi, the acting head of the Football Federation, entered the fray after seeing the two parties that had arisen among Team Melli players in stories supporting or criticizing Dragan Skocic, to end the matter for good by contacting them directly.
Majedi conveyed his displeasure about the behavior of the players to the senior members of the Iranian national team. He, who was surprised by the arrival of several new players in the recent camp of the team, postponed dealing with them to another time to show that he has decided to talk to the main players of the squad and calm the created atmosphere.

Among the strong supporters of Skocic, Azamoun and Taremi have been the most vocal. In an act of sedation, some new players, led by provocateurs are supporting the other side. The partisan is also clearly felt in the media which are taking sides, instead of encouraging stability and accepting the Croat.

The efforts of Majedi to change the atmosphere team’s dressing room have been counteracted by secret meetings in the corridors of the Ministry of Sports. Majedi, who no longer categorically dismisses Dragan Skocic’s departure, is now struggling with all kinds of demands to replace the Croatian head coach. The catalyst of these demands comes from the Ministry which has a long history of interference behind the scenes and applying all sorts of pressures to the extent of threats to get to their demands. In public, however, The Ministry always manitains the official policy of non-interference in FFIRI affairs and respect for the federation as an independent entity.

Some patrons of Carlos Queiroz have secretly held meetings with the officials of the Ministry of Sports during Majedi’s tenure as acting head and demanded the return of the Portuguese. Meetings that were supported and perhaps attended by several representatives of the Islamic Council (the Parliament) who demanded the explicit intervention of Hamid Sajjadi, the Minister of Sports in the affairs of the FFIRI. However, Sajjadi, aware of FIFA’s sensitivity to the subject and Iran being very close to being sanctioned because of several issues, including females attendance in stadiums, has announced that he will not get directly involved in the story, but an old Queiroz advocate who is closely related to Sajjadi has given strong indications of the return of the Portuguese man creating an atmosphere of insecurity and agitation.

 Will Skocic achieve his dream of sitting on the bench of the national team in the World Cup? Will Queiroz becomes the head coach of Team Melli due to external pressures? Will an Iranian option leads the national team? You have to wait a few more days to get answers to these questions

Omid Team knocked out at the first stage of AFC U23 Cup

Iran’s U23 team (Omid) was knocked out of the AFC U23 Asian Cup after the draw a 1-1 against host Uzbekistan in Qarashi yesterday. Winless Iran ranked third after two draws and a defeat. The host Uzbekistan and first-time participants Turkmenistan qualified for the next round.

Mahdavikia, was facing the impossible task facing the Uzbek team, miracles however are a rare commodity in football.  Uzbekistan scored first from yet another Amataurish defending by Iran, while late in the second half, the Omid team found an equalizer but too late to save the day.

Mehdi Mahdavikia was left to reflect on their early exit in the campaign, admitting that the 2-1 defeat against debutants Turkmenistan hurt their chances.
“We are out of the tournament because we lost against Turkmenistan. That’s a fact,” said Mehdi. “But today was a good game. If we had taken our chances, we could have won the match but now we look back and see how we can improve.
“There are two problems that we need to overcome. First, we need to score and our players need to improve their fitness. Many of them do not play in the professional league so this is one problem we must solve before the next competition.”

The fact remains that Omid Team was ill-prepared for a tournament like that. The culprit is quite obvious to every fan by now and hope of any progress is simply futile in short term. FFIRI personnel, are too busy and too involved in their political in-fighting and lobbying to give the national teams any serious consideration. With the FFIRI without a head, as was ousted the acting Head and the rest were simply not good enough to shoulder this important responsibility. Team Melli is another victim of this politics.

However, there were surprise noises talking about sacking Mahdavikia because of the Omid Team Failure. Although there is no doubt that Mahdavikia shoulders major responsibility for the defeat and no justification such as preparing the team for the Olympics has any value, the former Hamburg player is about the best bet for the job. There is no other domestic coach who can stand up to be counted. Most repetitive names, like Hamid Estili, Peyrovani, Khakpour, etc came and gone without achieving anything for Omid Team. They all failed and some miserably so.

The difference with Mahdavikia is that he took the proper process in his coaching career. He is certified, coaching youth-level teams in Hamburg, played most of his career in Germany and has learned a lot from an anation that has the greatest football system in the world.

Of course, any coach needs the tools and the support to succeed, Mahdavikia had very little of both. Young Iranian domestic league players are victims of a poor standard league, lack of development programs, priorities to win at all costs, short-term success demanded by clubs, sub0standard coaching, and lack of professional guidance. It is surprising how some Omid Team players through this edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup lacked simple and basic skills.

While Iran’s chances of making the Paris Olympic Games is a long shot, given some proper support, Mahdavikia will at least stand a good chance to develop a few good players to feed Team Melli in the future.

 

Group A

P W D L F A GD PTS
1
UZBEKISTAN
3 2 1 0 8 1 7 7
2
TURKMENISTAN
3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
3
IRAN
3 0 2 1 3 4 -1 2
4
QATAR
3 0 2 1 3 9 -6 2

Sardar Azmoun: Bayer Leverkusen Add Goals And Depth Below Market Value

Manuel Veth

It is one of the more exciting transfers of this Bundesliga transfer window. On the day before deadline day, Bayer Leverkusen signed Sardar Azmoun for $4.4 million from Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg. The 27-year-old Iranian had previously agreed on a free summer transfer with Die Werkself. Overall it is a brilliant deal for Leverkusen, who signed the forward in a deal significantly below Azmoun’s $27.5 million Transfermarkt market value.

“We’re delighted to have completed this transfer,” Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said in a club statement. “Sardar Azmoun has been one of Russian football’s top goalscorers for several years. He’s been champion three years in a row there with Zenit, regularly played in the Champions League, and shown himself to be of international class at the highest level. Our attack gains extra quality with him. Sardar will make our attack even more unpredictable and powerful.”

Azmoun, without a doubt, brings added depth to Leverkusen’s attack. The 27-year-old has been a star in Russia for some time and joined Zenit from Rubin Kazan in February 2019 in a deal worth $13.2 million. It was Kazan who found the striker in Iran, where he played for Sepahan’s youth academy. But it would be at Rostov where Azmoun made a name for himself, scoring 25 goals and six assists in 77 games. Two of those goals came against Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid in Rostov’s memorable 2016/17 Champions League campaign.

Rostov had bought the striker for just $2.53 million in 2016 from Rubin Kazan. But Russian football is not always that straightforward. Like many Russian clubs, Rostov always struggled with finances, and Azmoun wanted out of the club. Around that time, Azmoun was consistently linked with a move to one of the top four leagues; reports suggested links to Liverpool, several Italian clubs, but also Borussia Dortmund.

Instead, what happened was so very typical for business practices of clubs in the post-Soviet space. Only very few institutions in the region are able to develop players and sell them at the right time. Also, players often fail to find the right move, add agents to the mix, and it becomes a difficult proposition all around. Azmoun, for example, did not move to Europe but instead back to Rubin Kazan in 2017, where the owner, the Republic of Tatarstan, was once again on a spending spree.

Those spending sprees, however, also come and go; Rubin as a club has always been between very rich and very poor; there is no middle ground. As a result, Azmoun was sold to Zenit in 2019. For most talented players based in Russia, the story would have ended here—Zenit, owned by Gazprom, can pay wages at a tax rate that is often impossible to match for the big clubs in Europe and, as a result, players are unlikely to move on.

The same was thought of Azmoun, but instead, the Iranian has made the move to a top-four league after all. What remains to be seen is whether the move comes at the right time; Azmoun is no longer a talent but, at 27, a veteran. At the same time, that can be an asset too; Leverkusen receives a player with significant experience in the ups and downs of a football career.

But how will Azmoun fit in the squad? At first glance, Azmoun is a clear-cut number 9, and in that position, Leverkusen has Patrik Schick, one of the most productive strikers in European football. But Schick has been heavily linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund, where he could replace Erling Haaland. Azmoun could be an investment for the future, a possible replacement for the Czech goalscoring machine.

There is, however, also room for Schick and Azmoun to play together. Although most commonly employed as a lone-striker in a 3-4-3 system by Zenit this season, Azmoun has also played with a Schick type of number 9 in Artem Dzyuba this year. Azmoun can add more tactical depth to Gerardo Seoane’s side at Leverkusen. In fact, the Swiss head coach previously preferred a 4-4-2 system rather than the 4-2-3-1 system used by Leverkusen this year, adding Azmoun now.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth 

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Skocic serves his sentence , but what about the cheaters?

Dragan Skocic, the head coach of Team Melli, got super excited after some tense moments during the match with the Lebanese national team. When Sardar Azmoun scored the equalizer, the Croat who was feeling immense pressure with his team a goal behind in the dying minutes of the match, jumped with joy running towards the Lebanese bench,  demonstrating his excitement while pointing towards the stretcher that the Lebanese players used umpteen times in the match.

The Qatari referee brandished the red card to Skocic and sent him to the stands.

The FIFA disciplinary committee issued its verdict and suspended Skocic for one match which he served against Syria. In addition, Skocic was ordered to pay 5,000 Swiss francs, which must be paid within 30 days of the date of notification.

Skocic will be able to lead Team Melli from the bench in the match against Iraq in January 2022.

While Skocic had no business encroaching into the opposing team’s area to demonstrate his anger at the host team that was not playing football like gentlemen and professionals, faking injuries, cheating, and simulating in a farce and obvious manner, the Qatari referee was an accessory, aiding and abated in this farcical act of deception. The fault ultimately falls on the world’s governing body to stop such ridiculous behavior in football. History reminds us that FIFA can and has acted before to stop such acts of anti-football. Cast your mind back to the game between Ireland and Egypt in  FIFA World Cup 1990.

Because of the Egyptian blatant time-wasting and killing of the game, it banned the passing of the ball to goalkeepers.

FIFA needs to act again. It is their full responsibility to act against teams like Lebanon and many others who use time-wasting by faking players’ injuries who drop dead with every tackle. There is no excuse for FIFA inaction. Anyone who has a passion for the beautiful game of football, must take a stand against such acts and make their voice heard against cheating.  While VAR and technology are being extensively used, it is about time that this type of technology or alternatives is also used to punish players who cheat. In this part of the world, there are aplenty.

A big call to make on Beiranvand!

Alireza Beiranvand, Team Melli’s number one goalkeeper, is going through some bad patch both at the club and national Team level these days. After conceding four goals in Boavista’s game against FC Porto to experience a bitter day against Mehdi Taremi and his teammates, he also conceded another five in the next game against Famalisao, in total he has conceded nine goals in two games.

However, this dip in performance did not seem to affect Dragan Skocic’s confidence as Beiranvand was picked in the starting lineup against Lebanon. As expected, he started the match in which he continued performing dreadfully against Lebanon. He still could not put things right and perform as well as expected from him.

Beiranvand was the main culprit in Team Melli conceding a goal in that match. Despite the oddity and the very strong possibility that the ball was in fact traveled well beyond the line out of play, he was nevertheless at fault for his unprofessional response. While he should have been watching the flight of the ball and being alert, he instead watched the linesman ignoring the field and raising his hand as if such action will stop the game! A clever and opportunistic Lebanon forward scored what must have been an easy gift the type of which he might never experience again at the international level.

It was a poor goal to concede even at a much lower level of competition, let alone a match in a World Cup qualifier.

The second major mistake of the day from the shaky Beiranvand came in the second half when he decided to dribble the Lebanese forward in his 6 yards area in the 55th minute of the game. As the forward was pressing on him and getting real close, in haste Beiranvand released the ball and gave it away to another Lebanon forward, waiting for a mistake, who had an empty goal in front of him, It was another gift for Lebanon!. Thanks to the great interception by Sadegh Moharrami that the shot was deflected to a corner saving Beiranvand and the Team.

A goal would have put Lebanon 2-0 up and the recovery would have been extremely difficult especially considering gift goals by Team Melli players.

There is no doubt that Alireza Beiranvand is a liability after consecutive poor performances. He is shaky and his confidence must be at the ebb. Starting him against Syria is now considered a great risk for the Team in which Skocic will be sitting on the stands as he is suspended. However, like Taremi’s absence, Team Melli has a solid bench for goalkeeping. Abedzadeh and young Niazmand are both capable and ready to slot in and relieve the underconfident Beiranvand.

Every footballer will have some downturn in his fortune and experience a bad performance patch. It remains to be seen if Skocic and the rest of the coaching staff will risk using Beiranvand against Syria, or exercise caution and rationale by choosing either of the two keepers.

The coaches of Team Melli must consider the effect of repeated failure on the psychology of a player.

There is a serious risk wherein if Beiranvand starts against Syria and heaven forbids, commits further mistakes that lead to a goal or goals conceded, the emotional uneasiness and the feeling of guilt will perhaps destroy the confidence of Alireza Beiranvand permanently ruining his career in the process. Rationale dictates that Beiranvand should not be exposed to possible psychological agony.

It is a big call for Skocic to make against Syria.

Team Melli squad vs Lebanon & Syria

Team Melli squad 

 

BEIRANVAND, Alireza
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Boavista
22.Sep.92
Khorramabad
195 cm
Iraq 04.Jan.15
Goalkeeper
28
 ABEDZADEH, Amir
 Club :
D.O.B:
Born
Height
International Debut:
Position:
Age:
 SD Ponferradina
26-Apr-93
Tehran
186 cm
Uzbekistan 19.05.2018
Goalkeeper
27 years
 
NIAZMAND, Payam
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Portimonense
06.Apr.95
Babol
193 cm
xxx
Goalkeeper
25
NOORAFKAN, Omid
Club
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Sepahan
09-Apr-97
Shahr-e-Rey
182 cm
Sierra Leone 17.03.2018 Midfield
23
HAJSAFY, Ehsan
Club
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
AEK Athens
25-Feb-90
Kashan
168 cm
Zambia 25.May.08
Defender/Midfield
30
HARDANI , Saleh
Club
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Foolad Khuzestan
14-Sep-98
Dishmook
176 cm
Syria 02.Sep.21
Midfield
23
HOSSEINI, Majid
Club
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Kayserispor
20-Jun-96
Tehran
184 cm
Uzbekistan 19.May.18
Defender
25
KANANI-ZADEGAN, Hossein
Club
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Al-Ahli
23-Mar-94
Mahshahr
186 cm
Uzbekistan 11.Jun.15
Defender
26
KHALILZADEH, Shojaa
Club
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Al-Rayyan
14-May-89
Ghayemshahr
182 cm
Mozambique 02.May.2012
Defender
31
MOHAMMADI, Milad
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
AEK Athens
29-Sep-93
Tehran
178 cm
Uzbekistan 11.Jun.15
Defender
27
MOHARRAMI, Sadegh

Club
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Dinamo Zagreb
01-Mar-1996
Talesh
174 cm
Bolivia 16.10.2018
Defender
24
YAZDANI, Siavaush
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Esteghlal
27.Feb.92
Mashad
190 cm
xxx
Center Back
29
VAHID AMIRI Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Persepolis
02-Apr-88
Darreh-ye Badam
191 cm
Iraq 04.Jan.15
Forward- Midfield
32
EZATOLLAHI. Saeid
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Vejle Boldklub
01.Oct.96
Bandar Anzali
190 cm
Uzbekistan 11.Jun.15
Midfield
25
GHODDOS, Saman
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Brentford
06-Sep-93
Malmo, Sweden
177 cm
Lithuania 08.Jun.18
Midfield
27
GHOLIZADEH, Ali
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Charleroi
10-Mar-96
Nain
176
Sierra Leone 17. Mar.18
Midfield
25
JAHANBAKHSH, Alireza
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Feyenoord
08-Oct-93
Jirandah
180 cm
Lebanon 19.Nov.13
Forward/winger
28
NOORALLAHI, Ahmad
Club
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Shabab Al-Ahli
02-Feb-93
Azadshahr
185 cm
Trinidad & Tobago 15.Nov.18
Midfield
27
TORABI, Mehdi
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Persepolis
10-Sep-93
Karaj
185 cm
Uzbekistan 11.Jun.15
Midfield
27
RAFIEI , Soroush
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Sepahan
24.Mar.90
Shiraz
175 cm
South Korea 18.Nov.14
Midfield
31
SALMANI, Yasin
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Sepahan
27-Feb-2002
Gorgan
183 cm
xxx
Midfield
19
SARLAK, Milad
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Persepolis
26-Mar-95
Esfahan
181 cm
Cambodia 11-June-21
Midfield
26
SAYYEDMANESH, Allahyar
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Zorya
29-Jun-01
Amol
182 cm
Syria 06-June-19
Forward
19
ANSARIFARD, Karim
Club
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
AEK Athens
03-Apr-90
Ardabil
175 cm
Iceland 10.Nov.09
Forward
30
AZMOUN, Sardar
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Zenit St. Petersburg
01-Jan-95
Gonbad-e Kavus
185 cm
Montenegro 26.May.14
Forward
25
REZAEI, Kaveh
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
OH Leuven
05-Apr-92
Eslamabad-e-Gharb
185 cm
Guam 03.Sep.15
Forward
29
GHAEDI, Mehdi
Club :
D.O.B :
Born :
Height :
International Debut :
Position :
Age :
Shabab Al-Ahli
05-Dec-98
Bushehr
166 cm
Uzbekistan 08.Oct.20
Forward
22

Karim Bagheri update on Team Melli.

Karim Bagheri has been loaned to Team Melli as an administrator and advisor. He recently commented on the latest situation of the Team Melli squad which is preparing for two crucial matches against Lebanon and Syria in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers,

Bagheri said: “No match is an easy one, especially at this stage of the competition where all teams are trying to get the results to qualify for the World Cup. The same goes for Lebanon. This team (Lebanon) is playing at home and is determined to achieve the best result.” He added: “on the other hand, our side is the national team of Iran with the best players it has. We always do our best to get good results in every match. It is important for our national team to win this one. We also have a tough game ahead against Syria. In these few days, we have prepared ourselves well and the players are ready to play hard with good recovery and training.”

Referring to the team’s training in Lebanon on artificial turf, the national team coach emphasized: “The first training session was held on artificial turf because the situation did not allow us to train on natural grass. We have this issue on Tuesday as well, but this is no excuse at all as we will practice with all our might on the main field the day before the game.”

Regarding the controversy created after dropping Mehdi Taremi from the latest Team Melli list, Bagheri said: “In the last few days, things happened that created a lot of conflict and disputes. These disagreements and conflicting opinions have always existed in football. On the subject of Skocic and Taremi, our media friends could have reflected the issues much better and more rationally. We have two important games ahead. All the media outlets could have paused and kept the issue under control until we finish with these two games and then proceed to discuss and comment on the issue.”

He pointed out “There was a lot of talk in these few days. Mr. Skocic, Mr. Khorshidi  (the Manager of Team Melli) and I called Taremi several times to resolve any problems. Dialogue can solve problems. We could have arrested this controversy, but unfortunately, Taremi did not answer me or Mr. Skocic!” Karim Bagheri emphasized: “The last person told me to call Mehdi, but I already have called him twice, unfortunately – Taremi did not answer. He could have his own reasons for such. God willing, these problems will be solved and Mehdi will return to the national team. Mehdi is one of our most in-form players, both in the national team and his club. He works hard and has made very good progress in his career. We do not deny this. “

The coach of the Iranian national team clarified: “If Mehdi had talked to me or Skocic, the case would have been settled more easily. Mehdi’s failure to speak fueled this problem. I ask everyone not to drag this issue by blowing it out of proportion. I see on some sites that they are polling who is right and who is lying!! Support the national team because this team is for Iran and not for one or two people. We have to look at the national team as a whole. I ask the press, television, and media to support the national team. Creating controversy, inflating the situation could have negative effects on the squad. Only the name of the national team should matter, not the interest of a person. We need to come out heads high after these two games.”

Iran is playing Lebanon on 11th November in Sidon.

The indiscretion of Mehdi Taremi !

A reliable source close to Team Melli camp has revealed to Khabar Varzeshi that after Mehdi Taremi’s tweet a while ago and on the recommendation of the Football Federation, Dragan Skocic tried to mend his relationship with the Porto star.

On this basis, the Croatian head coach personally contacted Mehdi Taremi in Portugal to explain his interview with a Croatian website and to discuss and resolve the misunderstanding, however, no matter how many times Dragan Skocic calls Mehdi Taremi’s mobile, the Porto player does not pick up to answer the phone of his national team head coach!

Text messages sent to Taremi by the Croatian coach remained unanswered! Dragan Skocic then asks his Iranian assistant Vahid Hashemian to call Mehdi Taremi and help end the misunderstanding while complaining about the unanswered phone call. Surprisingly, Taremi ignores phone calls and messages of Vahid Hashemian too. As a final measure, these two coaches of the national team assign Karim Bagheri the task of contacting Taremi.

Skocic believes that considering Karim’s history and stature in Team Melli and Persepolis, it is impossible for Mehdi Taremi not to answer the phone of his former coach, but still, the calls are one-sided and useless! It is alleged that Mehdi Taremi, has found out that Karim Bagheri had called him because of Dragan Skocic issue, so Taremi ignored Bagheri’s call too.

 On this basis, the Croatian head coach decided to drop Taremi from the squad, because that tweet and this behavior are not justified and will cause more division in the Iranian national team camp.

Taremi is a player who is always close to controversy. His behavior remains unprofessional and poorly disciplined. Currently, in Portugal, there is a campaign against Taremi for his simulation in the penalty box and diving, according to his club coach. Taremi’s disciplinary record in Porto is quite poor for a striker. He has also been dismissed in a UEFA Champions League match for childish behavior right after receiving a yellow card, which lead to another yellow and dismissal.

Dragan Skocic to contact Taremi is commended to reduce any tension. His dropping of Taremi is quite justified especially since Team Melli and Skocic have a rich number of forwards at his disposal. Players like Ghaedi and Sayadmanesh, who form the future of Iran’s football deserve to be given opportunities upfront, while Sardar Azmoun is available and capable and enjoying his most successful seasons in Europe.

Taremi is developing into another Mehdi Rahmati and Hadi Aghili who thought they are above Team Melli. Like Carlos Queiroz, this time Skocic is teaching the renegades a lesson. A strong coach is a necessity for Team Melli and indisciplined players, regardless of their status, must be dropped as they will become a liability in the future and a bad example.

Team Melli players rating vs Korea Rep.

Alireza BEIRANVAND :[7.8] Saved a last-minute shot and was commanding on aerial balls. Still delays passing the ball and puts himself in awkward positions.Shojaa KHALILZADEH: [7.8] another commanding performance from the central defender. He offsets his lack of pace with his positioning and close marking.
Sadegh MOHARRAMI [6.8] the goal scored was a lapse of concentration in otherwise a good performance.
Hossein KANANI-ZADEGAN [7.6] Again formed a formidable line in the center of defense with good understanding with Khalilzadeh hardly allowing the Koreans any space.
Ahmad NOUROLLAHI [7.4] the burden of dominating the midfield against tough opposition brought the best out of him. Was working hard His cross attempts from right on the line could have been better.
Saeid EZZATOLLAHI: [7.9] Slowly but positively getting better in the team formation. His shot that shaved the upright was delightful. Tackling and passing were much better than in the earlier matches.
Vahid AMIRI [7.0] is industrious and diligent but he lacks the punch and final telling touches.
Ali GHOLIZADEH: [6.5] nearly incognito in the first half. There was no sign of the magic slalom runs on the flanks and mostly content with retreating back to support the defense.
Mehdi TAREMI: [7.4] Taremi is a player that can be frustrating and wasteful at times. He seems to shoot without looking at what is in front of him, like a wall of defenders! His swerving kick that hit the woodwork was spectacular. The understanding he is building with Azmoun is a hopeful sign for Team Melli.
Alireza JAHANBAKHSH [8.1] High rating is due to the goal he scored to save Team Melli. He still needs to apply himself and make a difference on the wings and midfield.
Sardar AZMOUN: [7.9] worked tirelessly up to the end and once again provided an assist in the highest class to Jahanbakhsh for Team Melli equalizer. He tends to be a reckless tackler a player who has not mastered the art of tackling and as such he received his third yellow card of the qualifiers.

SUBSTITUTE

Omid NOORAFKAN [6.7]: while undoubtedly has a lot to offer, his reckless tackles and lack of concentration can cost him dearly in the team. Awarded a yellow card 6 minutes after being brought in.

COACH:

DRAGAN SKOCIC [6.7]: His lack of adventure in the first half and poor substitution give him a low mark. The team lacked direction and energy in the first half and the offenses were carried out on long direct balls where the midfield is bypassed. If such tactics yield results, then no one would complain, but it didn’t. Clearly lacks a ball carrier and a ball distributor in the midfield and that needs a solution. With so much talent on the bench, his substitutions were nothing short of awful.

The team tactics look predictable as it seems there is no variety in play and no second option.