Tag: Ali Kaffashian

Khakpour announces Omid Team plans.

Mohammad Khakpour, Iran’s U23 (Omid) coach announced his plans for the team from now until January 2016, when Iran will join 15 other finalist in a tough battle to qualify for the Rio De Janeiro Olympics football competition. The final rounds of the qualification for Rio Olympics will be held in Doha, Qatar.

In his briefing with the sport journalist, Khakpour express his gratitude to the clubs who helped the case of Omid team with their timely release of the players for the inaugural WAFF U23 tournament. Khakpour was over joyed by the results achieved in this first tournament of its kind, where Iran’ U23 won the title defeating Syria 2-0 in the final.

“The first order of business in to set up a short camp in UAE, were we were hoping to play against Iraq and Australia. The latter match is 100% confirmed but the Iraq match is yet to be finalized” Khakpour said. “After that we will be going to Turkey foe another short camp followed by a local camp either in Kish Island or in Khuzistan (Ahvaz). We hope that by that time , we will have all our players available for the best preparation of the squad.” Khakpour continued.

The reporters then quizzed Khakpour on several topics including the readiness of  Arya Hashemi. Khakpour said that this player will not be fit on time to join the team.

About Iran’s prospect for qualifying to that eluded prize of Olympic Games, Khakpour responded “We should be under no illusion that qualifying to the next round from the group is not an easy task at all. Qatar is the host, China is one of the strongest teams in Asia at that age level, and we have all seen Syria play against us with strength and skill. So, it is not going to be an easy task, but we are not going there to surrender either.”

khakpour-omis-team

About his abrupt resignation after winning the WAFF U23 tournament, Mohammad Khakpour admitted his mistake as he particularly apologized for Mohammad Mayeli-Kohan and Habib Kashani for this hasty move. “Both these gentlemen put a lot of faith in me and I let them down. I like to sincerely apologize to them and also to my compatriots for such an act and admit that it was out of emotions and not rational.”  the Iranian U23 team coach said. Khakpour also apologized for the media in an unprecedented move!  As such , this is a rare occasion that an Iranian coach admits his fault and apologized for it. So, there is still hope left in Iranian coaches!

The head coach of U23 team however, did not conceal his disappointment with Ali Kaffashian and the general lack of support for Omid Team from the federation. Khakpour said that the main reason for his resignation was the one-sided contract that he was offered in which he was held accountable for everything , while it hardly mentioned anything about the federations responsibilities.

2016 AFC U-23 Championship

Qualified teams

The following 16 teams qualified for the final tournament

Team Qualified as Appearance Previous best performance
 Qatar Hosts 1st Debut
 Iraq Group A winners 2nd Champions (2013)
 Jordan Group B winners 2nd Third place (2013)
 Saudi Arabia Group C winners 2nd Runners-up (2013)
 United Arab Emirates Group D winners 2nd Quarter-finals (2013)
 Syria Group E winners 2nd Quarter-finals (2013)
 Australia Group F winners 2nd Quarter-finals (2013)
 North Korea Group G winners 2nd Group stage (2013)
 South Korea Group H winners 2nd Fourth place (2013)
 Japan Group I winners 2nd Quarter-finals (2013)
 China PR Group J winners 2nd Group stage (2013)
 Thailand 1st best runners-up (Group G) 1st Debut
 Iran 2nd best runners-up (Group C) 2nd Group stage (2013)
 Vietnam 3rd best runners-up (Group I) 1st Debut
 Yemen 4th best runners-up (Group D) 2nd Group stage (2013)
 Uzbekistan 5th best runners-up (Group E) 2nd Group stage (2013)

[divider size=”5″ margin=”20″]

12 January 2016
16:30
Syria  v  Iran
   
12 January 2016
19:30
Qatar  v  China PR
15 January 2016
16:30
China PR  v  Syria
15 January 2016
19:30
Iran  v  Qatar
   
18 January 2016
19:30
Qatar  v  Syria
18 January 2016
19:30
Iran  v  China PR
   

 

Kaffashian orders Queiroz to cap it.

Ali Kaffashian , has ordered Carlos Queiroz to seize issuing any public statements without the FFIRI approval.  In a rare show of force against the uncontrollable Carlos Queiroz, the head of football federation is determined to put an end to the public squabbling that his undermined his authority and that of his federation.

In statements to the press Kaffashian told Mehrnews that both Queiroz and Asadi were at fault for meddling into each other’s duties. “Carlos Queiroz has no authority on Asadi and has no right to question his appointment in FFIRI office, while Mr. Asadi should not suggest players like Rahmati to team Melli, which is the coaches’ job.”

 “If I , as head of the football federation , am asked about any player, I reserve judgment and refrain from suggesting or otherwise. I believe that is the sole responsibility of the technical and coaching team. I expect the others to follow suite.”

Kaffashian described that some of the public exchanges between Asadi and Queiroz as being childish like and detriment to the reputation of the federation.

Queiroz :“We need to rekindle the spirit of the World Cup 2014″

Carlos Queiroz invited the fans to support Team Melli in its quest for qualification to FIFA World Cup 2018 starting with the home match against Guam in Azadi on Friday.

In the pre-match news conference, the head coach of Team Melli believed that his team has the best available players in Iran and assured the fans that they will be witnessing a winning spirit by the best squad that is available to him.

“We need to rekindle the spirit of the World Cup 2014 team and that of the Asian Cup 2015. If we do that, I am confident of winning all the way. Tomorrow’s match is important step for us and we must come out as winners. I am sure you will see a competent performance that will make you happy.” Queiroz added.

The Friday match which was supposed to be played in Karaj , Enghilab stadium , was switched to Azadi because of lack of quality hotels in Karaj!

The confident sounding Portuguese coach and true to form took the opportunity as always to take a swipe at his critics and that phantom “Enemy of Team Melli” ! Accusing some without naming them, Queiroz said “Some people don’t like to see Team Melli winning and those people don’t like to face realities. They are upset because of my support for Kaffashian (…)” That last comment was perhaps more directed at Ministry of Youth & Sports. Kaffashian has warned Queiroz about confronting the Ministry earlier on.

[quote class=”If we did not want him, we would not have signed with him after the World Cup”]”When we played our first two matches we set the target of being on top of the group. But people laughed at me when I said that. Well, look at us now, if any team takes us too lightly they will trip up.” [/quote]

 Guam coach Gary White

Asked about his response to Guam Coach who said that it is Iran that will be under pressure tomorrow, Queiroz said “I have no problem with that statement, he is free to think however he wishes. Let me tell you that I am thrilled to be under pressure. Those who cannot stand the heat should not be in the kitchen cooking.”

Queiroz who is also the master of stating the obvious, sarcastically targeted those who questioned his commitments “For those who follow football, they know that Guam has won 2 matches and heading the group with maximum points. So, it is not a team to be taken lightly. We respect them but that is as far as it goes.”

Queiroz only recently returned to Iran after a long absence leading to some criticism from section of the press that he is undermining Guam team while the more difficult game against Oman is not given its due importance as far as team preparation is concerned. Team Melli only gathered for training about 1 week ago.

Despite the unending wrangles of the Portuguese coach, his gallant selection of a young team has given him an advantage and silenced a large section of his critics scoring a moral victory in the process. Whether he can sustain this victory is all dependent on the outcome of the next two matches. Failing to beat Guam could be the catalyst for the coach. On the other hand, two good results and 6 points will go a long way in increasing the Portuguese popularity at least amongst the fans.

The match on Friday against Guam is at 19:00 local time.

GROUP D
TEAMS MP W D L GF GA +/- Pts
Guam  GUAM
 2 2 0 0 3 1 2 6
Oman  OMAN
 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
Iran  IRAN
 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Turkmenistan  TURKMENISTAN
 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1
India  INDIA
 2 0 0 2 2 4 -2 0

 

Kaffashian confirms AFC sanction against Khakpour.

Ali Kaffashian who has attended the first New AFC Executive committee meeting in Manama, Bahrain confirmed in an interview that the AFC technical Committee does not recognize Mohammad Khakpour as a qualified trainer/coach for Iran’s U-23 team.

Khakpour , with little if any coaching experience at top level football was surprisingly selected to replace Nelo Vingada the coach of Iran’s U23 team or the Olympics team. This was carried out shortly after the disastrous exit of the U-23 team in the Asian games, one of the worst defeats of an Iranian representative team in the history. Widespread condemnations from the media, fans and experts, forced Kaffashian to react to save this team which was supposed to qualify for the Olympics Games in Rio. However, the man who is world famous for his grin and cool demeanor, acted hastily in an attempt to quell what was now some strong disapproval within the federation as well.

The selection of Mohammad Khakpour ahead of many qualified, more experienced and more competent coaches, domestic or foreign shocked many. In essence, FFIRI under Kaffashian could not have done any worse than such a move. To put icing on the cake, Habib Kashani and Mohammad Mayeli-Kohan were also appointed as managers in different capacities for the U23 team.

kaffashian salman alkhalifa24028

So, It was not very surprising nor very long before the fans experienced the result in such incompetency. Iran U23 lost against arch rivals Saudi Arabia in Tehran, in the penultimate game of the Asian Qualifiers for the Rio Olympic Games 2016. Iran was hosting the group but could not qualify directly to the next stage. Complete failure and elimination from the first step was avoided by the virtue of qualification to the final rounds as one of the best 5 groups runner ups. The final rounds of qualifications will be held in Qatar on January 2016.

The AFC came into the picture after examining the coaching certificates of Khakpour and found it below the minimum required to coach the U23 team. Khakpour has a coaching certificate in USA not recognized by FIFA or AFC. As such Mohammad Khakpour is not allowed to coach this team unless he attends a proper FIFA or AFC coaching course and passes the required tests.

Kaffashian’s attempt to dodge the issue of proper qualification of coaches mandated by FIFA and AFC resulted in a meeting with the Asian Technical Director Andy Roxburgh. The Scottish coach has been recently appointed in order to enhance Asian coaches education and player development.

Kaffashian, a Vice-President of AFC, failed to present a solid case for Khakpour’s appointment and could not respond to why his Khakpour’s credentials were not checked according to the AFC regulations. The verdict was clear and it stood as is. If Khakpour does not attend the proper certified AFC or FIFA coaching courses, he will be banned from sitting on the bench of Iran’s U23 team during official competitions.

True to his style, Kaffashian attempting to relegate the issue , said that the U23 team has no official activities or commitment until January 2016, so, they do not need to get all hyped up about it!

Of course, there is no mention by Kaffashian on accountability and responsibility of such an appointment or debacle, to be more precise.

Queiroz is fed up with broken promises.

The Portuguese coach is not a happy man after the cancelation of the proposed Turkey training camp which was supposed to be conducted for a week before Iran’s friendly against Uzbekistan.

On Saturday, Carlos Queiroz who was supervising the training of Team Melli in the local camp in Tehran spoke of the broken promises and how he was promised that everything will be available to him to conduct his job , but in the first real trial , the promises are already hot air.

“We can go on playing this silly game. I was assured of all the necessary resources to carry out the mission to qualify but just as before and like the old days, the promises were never delivered. I have specifically and strongly demanded that resources should be at hand as a condition of renewing my contract, now you can see what has happened.”

Queiroz refused to comment on the reasons behind the cancelation of the Turkey camp however, he emphasized that he needs resources to continue his job.

“We will start the World Cup campaign from tomorrows. Tell me, how can I conduct my job? If I talk, they will accuse me of being a bad boy and the bad man of football. Not that I really care as my priority is to defend the interest and reputation of Team Melli.” Queiroz added.

The cash strapped football federation is under severe pressure financially with a substantial amount of money due to the federation from the World Cup , still being held in Switzerland because of banking restriction on money transfer to Iran.

São Paulo considering Carlos Queiroz.

The Brazilian club São Paulo has declared their intention of seeking the services of Team Melli head coach.

The widely popular el globo newspaper of Brazil through their website, el Globo esporte, reported the following:

The Brazilian club São Paulo management interviewed the Portuguese Jose Peseiro on Monday for the vacant job of head coach of the team. The interview was conducted by President Carlos Miguel Aidar and the football vice Ataide Gil Guerreiro.  The interview follows earlier one with Colombian Juan Carlos Osorio, conducted in Medellin on Wednesday of last week. Aidar was impressed, but there are more candidates in his “interview list.”

 Just this week, the President intends to talk to representatives of coach Carlos Queiroz , Peseiro’s compatriot and current head coach of the Iranian team. In April, he resigned his post, but his resignation was not accepted by the Iranian federation.

 Interestingly, Peseiro served as Carlos Queiroz assistant at Real Madrid between 2003 and 2004. The two are close friends.

The relation between São Paulo and Carlos Queiroz was cemented before and during the FIFA World Cup 2014. Queiroz selected the popular Brazilian club for the camp site and was well received by the Brazilians who provided all the assistance for Team Melli.

The good relation between the two sides and the subsequent result of Team Melli against Argentina has increased the popularity of Queiroz in São Paulo club to the extent of considering him for the job of head coach. Queiroz has never coached in Latin America but has expressed his desire several times before the World Cup, while he was publically declaring that he will leave Iran’s job that he wants to coach in Brazil.

São Paulo FC is the most successful club in Brazilian Football with 18 titles overall.  It is the only Brazilian side that has won the FIFA Club World Cup, titles three times. The Job fits Queiroz wishes perfectly.

Now that the São Paulo offer is in the open, it is unclear what effect it has on the stability of Team Melli and Queiroz himself.

It is no secret that Queiroz is staying in Iran under duress bound by a legal contract. He wants to leave but not with an empty pocket if he unilaterally cancels the contract. Kaffashian has stated earlier that Queiroz has other offers as one of the reasons behind the Portuguese coach intent to quit his job.

FFIRI complains to AFC about Turkmenistan venue change.

Ali Kaffashian has confirmed that his administration has lodged a written complaint with the AFC in regards to the venue change of the upcoming match between Turkmenistan and Iran.

The host Turkmenistan, Iran’s neighbor to the north, has moved the venue form the capital city Ashgabat to the third largest city  Daşoguz ,  600 miles north of the capital. This city is right on the boarder of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and farthest away from Iranian boarders.

The move is a ploy by the Turkmen in order to discourage Iranian fans from Khorasan and Golestan from travelling to attend the match and support Team Melli. The two teams will be meeting on 16th June in Group ‘D’ of the Asian Zone Qualifications round of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Kaffashian said “We have told AFC that we cannot play at that venue and it has to be changed.” The president of FFIRI did not give any specific reasons for the request nor did he indicate if the AFC has responded to Iran’s request.

Meanwhile, the friendly match against Japan is still on according to Kaffashian. “We will play this game either in Oman or here in Tehran. We shall finalize that in due time.”

Commenting on Team Melli’s training camp in Turkey, Kaffashian said it is 50-50. “We have to wait and see on that although our preference is to conduct that camp for the benefit of the team. In any case, there are no friendly matches arranged in Turkey.”

Kaffashian was speaking to reporters before his departure to Zurich to attend FIFA 61st General Assembly Congress.

dashoguz

Truce prevails between Kaffashian and Queiroz.

The anticipated meeting between Ali Kaffashian and Carlos Queiroz on Saturday in which the former has announced that it will be about the future of the latter in Team Melli was completed uneventful.

 The details of the meeting remains a secret with neither of the parties willing to disclose what has been discussed and what agreement , if any , was made following what sounded like and emergency discussion perhaps initiated by Queiroz , in the aftermath of the Minister of Youth and Sports scathing verbal attack of Kaffashian and Queiroz.

Speaking to the reporters on Saturday, Quieroz limited his statements to Team Melli’s immediate training schedule and plans and the announcement of the Uzbekistan friendly match.  The Portuguese coach refused to comment on the questions about his views on Goudarzi’s statements condemning him and his employer, The FFIRI. “I have nothing to say on that subject. You can direct your questions to the President of the federation”  Queiroz’s responded against the persistent questioning on the subject.

Training program

Carlos Queiroz, however, went on in fine details on the Team Melli training schedules and plans.

“We will be starting the training schedule as soon as the league is over. Teams involved in the Hazfi Cup finals or Asian Competitions will be allowed to keep their players and join us at a later stage”

“We will set up two mini camps in Tehran and another one in Istanbul as part of the program to meet Turkmenistan. The squad will include the best players include young players who had made their presence felt in the league. We will also have a few surprises for you as far as new players’ selections.”

 A reporter asked him , what surprises does he have up his sleeve if he is not even watching the Football league to check the suitability of players ? Carlos Queiroz  said “I have a capable team of technical assistance who continually monitor the league and report to me. I trust their work. I also have a good analyst .”

Nekounam’s role. 

 Queiroz also reiterated his desire to include Javad Nekounam as a member of the coaching staff while insisting that Markar Aghajanian will remain as is and the ex Team Melli Captain will not be replacing the long serving Aghajanian in the coaching team.  The Portuguese coach did not specify in which capacity Nekounam will join his team. The recently retired Captain is actively playing professional football with Osasuna and is under contract with the Spanish Segunda Division side. 

A previous attempt to include a marquee name in Team Melli coaching staff , ended in bitter failure.  Ali Karimi , was included in the coaching team , without a specific role and with no coaching experience . After a few months, Karimi jumped ship and refused to fly to Australia with the Asian Cup 2015 squad without providing any reasons or submitting his resignation. He left Team Melli unceremoniously leaving Queiroz quite upset and disappointed. 

Queiroz also mentioned a proposal for a friendly international against Japan in October 2015 but the match date is not finalized yet.

Queiroz job is on the line again !

Ali Kaffashian , the head of FFIRI, surprised the media in Mashad by announcing that a meeting will be held on his return to Tehran on Saturday to discuss the future of Carlos Queiroz!

The sudden and surprising announcement is a continuation of the merry-go-around affair between the federation and the Portuguese coach where the situation of both sides have changed so often it has turned into a comical affair. While attending a conference in Mashad , Ali Kaffashian claimed that he has not heard or read yesterday’s comments of the Minister of Youth and Sports in which Mr. Goudarzi lashed at his federation with some sharp criticism of the way it is run. Goudarzi claimed that the employee is leading the employer and running the affairs as if he is the boss, while the passive boss is content with listening to the instruction of his subordinate and abide by it. That was a direct reference to Queiroz and Kaffashian working relationship, but without naming them.

Kaffashian, spoken like a true diplomat and gentleman, said that he was looking up to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and expects their support for the benefit of football and Team Melli.

“Some time ago, we were in the process of meeting to terminate the contract between the FFIRI and Mr. Queiroz due to some difficulties. The involvement of representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports who joined the meeting, in which he declared the full support of the Ministry, opened a new chapter. Based on such statement of intent, we were encouraged to continue working with Quiroz and elevated our level of expectation from the Ministry to provide the support necessary for Team Melli.” Kaffashian disclosed to the media.

Kaffashian stopped short of accusing the Ministry of turning their back.

There was no official declaration on any tangible support that the Ministry has promised, if they ever did, to support Carlos Queiroz demands as a condition for his staying with the team. Transparency has never been one of the strongest attributes of the FFIRI, which was in fact one of Goudarzi points of criticism of this federation.

Goudarzi’s statements yesterday have obviously sent the FFIRI into a panic once again. Without the full support of the Ministry, it seems that the FFIRI might not even manage to pay the coaching staff wages, let alone arrange the required training schedule for Team Melli and the Olympic teams.

For whatever it is worth, we have not heard the end of this soap opera yet. To increase the tension and add suspense to this drama, Calros Queiroz is still banned from leaving Iran because he or his employer has NOT settled the outstanding tax arrears.

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Goudarzi scathing attack of football affairs in Iran

 Tehran.

The Minister of Youth and Sports has once again criticized the status of football and its administration in the country and took an exception for being labeled as anti-football person.

In an informal gathering with senior former footballers, which the Minister called as a special and memorial occasion, Mahmoud Goudarzi said “I am not an anti-football minister of sport, I am anti-corruption and anti-mismanagement. There are quite a few indiscretions occurring in our football that requires attention. We cannot leave it to the hands of some scrupulous people to do whatever they like with the public funds.”

As an example , Goudarzi added that his ministry has asked for the football federation’s balance sheet and budget allocation on several occasions. As yet, nothing has been received from the FFIRI management except promises. “This is the age of transparency; we need all the people to know where the money is being spent. If there was a transparent system in the federation, there would be no need for scrutiny by the ministry because everyone would be aware of all the facts and figures. As it is , there is no transparency.” Goudarzi said. Goudarzi-&-Queiroz

Goudarzi singled out Carlos Queiroz for embellished criticism without naming him.” When we bring a foreign coach to work into the country, we are the bosses and he is the employee. We dictate what we want, we dictate our objectives and he should follow and deliver. What we currently see in football  is the exact opposite. The employee is acting like the boss and the boss is obliging and giving to the demand of his employee. It seems that the coach dictates whatever he wants ”

“We have a sense of pride in this country and do not enjoy being targeted for insults and bad mouthing from strangers. We have some degree of tolerance but do not accept insults to our system, way of life and   our traditions.” Goudarzi said in a veiled threat to Queiroz who has been outspoken critic of management and Iranian government lack of financial support to the football federation. “We do need to be told how to run our affairs by people who have no clue what is happening” Goudarzi said.

The informal meeting with the footballers most of whom are retired or working outside of football was a genuine attempt to gain knowledge and learn from the experience former masters, according to the minister who promised better treatment of the ex-footballers who have been marginalized by the present system.