Tag: Bayern Munich

Broadcaster Khiabani shocks the system.

The banning of Javad Khaibani’s activities on official media seems to be ruled out with the renowned broadcaster appearing on Channel 3 and also on Sports Network’s program.

Javad Khayani’s recent statements in one of the special talk shows of the Home Show Network, in which he quite fearlessly highlighted the economic plights of his countrymen, corruption in sports, and multiple system failures, had created speculations that his activities would be banned on television and also in other visual media.

But on Wednesday, the telecast of the friendly football match between the Manchester City and Bayern Munich teams ended those speculations with Khabani reporting on the game for the TV channel.

The Iranian regime has a habit of blanking its critics and forcing the media to stop publishing images or quotes. The most famous of these critics in recent times is none other than Ali Karimi, who has turned into a cult hero following his harsh criticism against the regime for the oppression of women and the wide corruption. Karimi, the former Captain of Team Melli, Bayern Munich, and Persepolis player left the country fearing for his life.

Khiabani, the veteran TV broadcaster, had some hard words for the authority in a recent TV show reflecting on the plight of Iranians and how the system prevents their progress in all fields.

After this harsh talk, there were calls by hardliners to ban Khiabani.

The regime is well-known to have zero tolerance for public criticism, even the constructive type. It is especially sensitive to celebrities, sports personalities, and Artists, many of whom have been banned for speaking out against the regime practices in the aftermath of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody.

Adel Ferwosipour is another broadcaster who is currently on the blacklist and has not been seen on TV for a long time since his quite famous and controversial TV show ‘Navad’ has been taken off the air.

IRIB, the official government broadcasting apparatus, is under the control of Ayatollah Ali Khamenai’s office. Policies and direction are scrutinized and channeled toward being a propaganda machine for the Iranian regime., The TV programs have an immense amount of religious content and the screens are mostly colonized by the Shia clergy giving sermons to a population that is living under extremely harsh economical conditions.

Despite Khiabani’s brave words, some cynics in social media have accused the broadcaster and his masters of staging this show. Those people believe that there is no way anyone dares to talk so openly criticizing the system with the approval of the regime’s security agents who have permanent residency in the IRIB properties.

Iran is the 4th worst country on World Press Freedom Index with Vietnam, China, and North Korea being worse.

Iran ‘tried to kidnap 127-cap international legend Ali Karimi after issuing arrest warrant for criticizing regime’

Is Team Melli’s unity under threat?

Across Iran, women are leading the charge in massive protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Morality police, who enforce the use of hijabs in public, arrested the Kurdish native 22-year-old in Tehran on September 16, 2022. Not long after she was taken into custody, she was dead.

What started with the women’s protest in Tehran and Kurdistan has now spread across the country with people taking to the streets, women burning their hijabs, and cutting their hair as a symbol of protest.

These protests have been so effective that celebrities across Iran started joining this massive movement, and that is the biggest nightmare of the clerical regime that has been governed by a known hardliner Ebrahim Raesi who was elected in an orchestrated election. Among the most prominent celebrities to stand with the people is none other than the icon himself, Mohammad Ali Karimi.

Karimi, a household name in Iran and a much-loved figure has been active n social media. The former Persepolis and Bayern Munich player has 12.2m Followers and his voice has been effective, leading the authorities to attempt to arrest him and confiscate his house unlawfully.

The protest does not stop at a former Team Melli icon like Ali Karimi as the current squad has many who sympathize with the people and mourn Mahsa Amini. Sardar Azmoun, the Team Melli current top scorer who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, after the goal celebration against Senegal on Tuesday was one of the saddest witnessed in the history of Team Melli.

Sardar Azmoun, despite the security apparatus ringing Team Melli in the Austrian camp, and everywhere outside Iran for that matter, managed to utter a few words that highlighted his status as a sympathizer for the people against the regime.

The situation gets more complicated if we contemplate that there are players in the squad who are regime agents. This has been a known fact in Team Melli since the 1980s. Some players are recruited by the security apparatus for spying on others and get rewarded for it. Football is not the only game in Team Melli as politics is deep-rooted.

It is clear that Team, Melli is split between three different factions. Dragan Skocic’s case was indicative of these differences with Azmoun and Taremi taking different views on the subject. It is a known fact that Taremi was the instigator and he pushed Jahanbakhsh and Hajsafi to meet the Iranian Minister of Sports while Team Melli was in camp in Doha to demand the removal of Skocic who guided Iran to the World Cup in what looked like Mission Impossible!. The government obliged and pushed for their man Mehdi Taj to be elected as head of the FFIRI with the main agenda item being the return of Queiroz.

No one in his right mind would think that Queiroz got the job on merits. His failure with Egypt and Colombia would relegate him to the third division of the top coach’s league plus the fact that he failed in two World Cups with Iran and two AFC Asian cups. Unknown to him, the Portuguese coach is the main beneficiary in the Iranian politics that could be threatening Team Melli which is ready for combustion in the struggle of the political factions.

These differences are directly related to the status of mass protests in the streets of Iranian cities. If the situation becomes calmer. The Team Melli camp tension will reduce, if things get worst in Iran, then there is a serious risk of disintegration or at least its weakening as a result of the loss of key players.

 

ALI KARIMI Hero of the people.

One of the most popular figures in Iran, the former Team Melli captain and Persepolis forward is being censored by the regime for his views on social issues that are not compatible with the fundamentalist regime’s doctrines.

The official media in Iran was directed to blacklist Ali Karimi which means that he will not be allowed to appear on TV or on the Radio, and not quoted in official publications while the TV has been instructed not to broadcast any images or clips of the footballer.

Adding to that, in true retribution, the regime that has zero tolerance for any shape of expression that questions its principles, ruled to take down any billboards with Ali Karimi’s image.

This all started when Ali Karimi, a known figure in supporting local causes and a charity supporter, urged the people of Iran to channel their “Nazr” towards real charity aid and support causes like medical care of patients who are unable to pay hospital bills and/or medication.

“Nazr” is a religious donation routed to the religious hierarchy. It supports the Mullah’s affairs and provides salaries and payouts to regime loyalists. There is no record that any money from “Nazr” donation has ever been channeled to proper charity or the needy in Iran.

This comment irritated the powerful religious institution, which found it a threat to an established religious practice for centuries. Karimi’s call also alerted many people in Iran to where these donations end up (in the clergy’s pockets). A certain clergy has the audacity to bad mouth, Ali Karimi, on a tribune calling him a Stupid, shameless, and ignorant man who has benefited from the public coffers without returning anything back to society.

The facts and truth are quite different. Ali Karimi made all his fortune outside Iran starting in UAE with Al-Ahli then moving on to Germany with Bayern Munich and finally Qatar. Karimi has been at the forefront of many charity works in Iran including providing tablets for rural students during the covid lockdown.

The voice of Ali Karimi and his popularity has shocked the regime, it has pushed thousands of Iranians to air support for him on social media and denounce the evil clergy who bad-mouthed the Wizard of Tehran”.

RSC Anderlecht chasing the talented Allahyar Sayyadmanesh.

www.voetbalnieuws.be  (translated from original)

With a lot more financial resources under their arm, Anderlecht will soon start the final catch-up movement. In the coming months, more quality players can therefore be expected in the Lotto Park and preferably on a permanent basis. Allahyar Sayyadmanesh is a 20-year-old top talent who is already being linked to a Sporting. It is not a very expensive deal, but promising all the more .RSC Anderlecht was looking for stability and sustainability in the player core in the past summer Mercato, but due to the financial limitations, Sporting still had to resort to four mercenaries. In the attacking line, Joshua Zirkzee (Bayern Munich) and Christian Kouamé (Fiorentina) were loaned out, both without a purchase option, so the Belgian champion will have to look for at least two new strikers next season.
Anderlecht will be able to start that search with a lot more capital. Main shareholder Marc Coucke converts 51.5 million euros of debt into capital. In addition, chairman Wouter Vandenhaute and Geert Duyck put another 24 million euros on the table to offer Sporting better financial and sporting prospects. In this way, only one bank loan of 10 million euros remains open.

That financial rescheduling has not taken place, but by the next summer, Mercato Anderlecht will be able to reap the benefits.

Peter Verbeke will then be able to enter the transfer market with a lot more financial resources compared to the past Mercato. Not coincidentally, Sporting is already being linked to multiple transfer targets. The most recent target is Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, a high-scoring striker from Zorya Luhansk.

INDISPENSABLE
Allahyar Sayyadmanesh is under contract with the Turkish club Fenerbahce, but the 20-year-old Iranian striker was loaned out to Zorya Luhansk in October last year for a season and a half.
Sayyadmanesh is doing very well in Ukraine, where he has scored six times and provided two assists in twelve league games this season. With these eight decisive actions, Sayyadmanesh is the most decisive player in the Premier League after Viktor Tsygankov (Dinamo Kyiv) today.
Zorya Luhansk wants their center-forward, who is also remarkably often played as a left-winger this season, but would like to tie them to them permanently. In the loan contract with Fenerbahce, a buyout price of 3.5 million euros was agreed, but that amount is too high for the club from eastern Ukraine. Allahyar Sayyadmanesh is seen as an indispensable link in the team of coach Viktor Skrypnyk, and not only because of his goals.

The Ukrainian press describes Allahyar Sayyadmanesh as the real leader and booster of Zorya Luhansk, despite his youthful age of barely 20 springs.


Sayyadmanesh guides his team through difficult moments, such as his two European winning goals against Leicester City and CSKA Sofia. As a result, the club and its fans are hugely disappointed that Sayyadmanesh will return to Fenerbahce at the end of the contract  at the end of December

EUROPEAN TOP TALENTS
For Zorya Luhansk, the lifting of the purchase option amounting to 3.5 million euros is impossible, so that the club will soon see their top scorer leave for Turkey.
However, the general expectation is that Allahyar Sayyadmanesh will not stay at Fenerbahce for long, but will make the switch to another European club. Anderlecht is mentioned, but also PSV, Torino FC, and Shakhtar Donetsk are reportedly lurking for him.

Ukrainian media have already written that the departure of Allahyar Sayyadmanesh will be a big blow for Zorya Luhansk.
The 20-year-old confirms with great success his status as one of the great European talents. The Guardian even included Sayyadmanesh in a prestigious list in 2018 as one of the sixty best young talents in the world. He was tipped by the British quality newspaper as a player for the next generation and in their latest update this month Sayyadmanesh is tipped to make a nice transfer very quickly.

In the list of sixty greatest European talents of The Guardian, Allahyar Sayyadmanesh ended up in the handsome company of Nicolas Raskin (then AA Gent, now Standard Liège), Rodrygo Goes (then Santos, now Real Madrid), Mason Greenwood (Manchester United), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Myron Boadu (then AZ Alkmaar, now AS Monaco), Eric Garcia (then Manchester City, now FC Barcelona)

GETTING STARTED WITH KOMPANY
Given the enormous potential of Allahyar Sayyadmanesh and his great recent performances at Zorya Luhansk, it is therefore not surprising that he has ended up on Anderlecht’s radar.
The right-footed attacker possesses some high-quality qualities such as the finish, physical strength, and heading ability. His positioning, speed, ball stability, and ball controls are also very sound. At the age of 20, Sayyadmanesh is obviously not yet a finished product, but with Vincent Kompany, Anderlecht has the ideal coach today to refine his work points and further perfect his great strengths.

Daei welcomes Ronaldo breaking his record.

Tehran (AFP)

Iranian football great Ali Daei is ready for Cristiano Ronaldo to break his all-time international goalscoring record, perhaps during Euro 2020.

The ‘Shariar’ (King in Persian) scored a remarkable 109 goals in 149 appearances for Iran between 1993 and 2006, an achievement many thought would never be matched.

But Ronaldo is fast closing in, moving to 106 international goals from 176 games with his double in Portugal’s 3-0 win over Hungary in Budapest on Tuesday.

Daei has said on several occasions that he would be “delighted” if Ronaldo broke his record, as he believes the Juventus striker ranks among the best three players in history, alongside Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.

“Records are made to be broken,” Daei told Khabar Online news agency in 2018.

“Ronaldo really has the qualities to do it. I have a lot of respect for him. He is such a great player that it isn’t even necessary to sing his praises.”

Ronaldo’s record chase fascinates the Iranian press, with articles about him published every time the 36-year-old edges closer to Daei’s tally.

Daei was prolific against other Asian sides, netting five times in a 7-0 win over Sri Lanka in 1996 and scoring four goals in a game on four other occasions, including in a historic 17-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Guam.

He was not just flat-track bully, though, setting up the winning goal, scored by Mehdi Mahdavikia, in Iran’s famous 2-1 victory over the United States at the 1998 World Cup.

Daei also captained his side at the 2006 World Cup before retiring from international football aged 37.

He was the first Iranian to play in one of Europe’s big leagues, in Germany, first with Arminia Bielefeld and then at Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin.

Having later turned to coaching, he became known for his outspokenness and spats with referees, opposing managers, and club presidents.

– Living legend –

But the 52-year-old Daei remains a living legend in his home country, even boasting 6.7 million followers on Instagram.

He has branched out into different fields, including business, and also has an engineering degree from the prestigious Sharif University in Tehran. Politically, he sometimes disagrees with the ruling government, in power since the Islamic revolution in 1979. A rare figure acting in civil society in Iran, he regularly takes a stand on major social and humanitarian issues.

In 2017, when aid from the authorities was slow to be provided, he launched a campaign to support the people in the western province of Kermanshah after an earthquake that killed more than 600 people. But Daei has always said he would not enter politics.

“My late father told me not to think about politics and never get involved personally,” he told the Varzesh sports website last month.

“I have never supported or will support any candidate in the Iranian presidential election.”

Daei is now a successful businessman — he owns a sportswear company and is also the head of construction projects in northern Tehran.

Maybe that is a field where he can still compete with Ronaldo, who promotes a hotel chain in his name, if the Portuguese takes his on-pitch record.

Ali Daei – The Iran hero Cristiano Ronaldo MUST beat.

Ali Daei set the international goal record on 109 – he was in the World Cup’s ‘most politically charged game’, hit his record-equalling strike twice as a rival was struck by a FIRECRACKER… and downed Chelsea at club level!

  • Ali Daei scored 109 goals in 149 caps in his 13-year career with the Iranian team 
  • Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on that tally – he has scored 103 for Portugal 

It would have been impossible to realize it then but 15 years ago, on June 17, 2006, the paths of two players who have shaped the landscape of international football crossed for the only time.

Cristiano Ronaldo was one of them. That day, he scored his 12th goal for Portugal from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win against Iran as he helped his side seal a place in the last-16 of the World Cup.

The other was Ali Daei, the legendary Iran striker who with 109 goals in 149 matches, holds the record as the highest ever scorer in internationals. It is one of the few that Ronaldo hasn’t broken but with Euro 2020 on the horizon, he heads into the tournament narrowing his sights on that landmark with his tally at 103.

Daei had a 13-year career with Iran that lasted from 1993 until 2006 and he was involved in some incredible stories amid his relentless scoring record
Daei had a 13-year career with Iran that lasted from 1993 until 2006 and he was involved in some incredible stories amid his relentless scoring record

 

 

 

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 12th goal for Portugal against Iran at the 2006 World Cup, a game where striker Ali Daei was an unused substitute.

That day, the 36-year-old Daei was an unused substitute. He would play just one more time for Iran, in the ensuing dead rubber group match against Angola which ended 1-1, without him scoring.

Daei’s career is an intriguing tale. His name is at the summit of a long list of players who thrived on the international scene more so than at club level. Pulling on the colors of ‘Team Melli’ brought the best out of the 6ft 4in striker, who was unsurprisingly strong in the air and had a poacher’s instinct in the box.

It wasn’t straightforward for Daei to make it as a footballer. His father didn’t want him to play the game at all until he graduated school and he trained as a metallurgical engineer. But his mother secretly helped him develop his footballing talent, without his dad knowing.

‘I used to leave home without my football uniform and my mother would smuggle it out for me so that I could play,’ Daei told the New York Times in 1998.

He made his Iran debut in 1993 and across Asia, promptly established himself as the most prolific marksman in the game. In fact, just 13 of his goals came outside of the continent and in the way that Ronaldo cashes in when he plays the Faroe Islands or Andorra, Daei did likewise against teams such as Nepal and Sri Lanka.

But Daei’s story as a player is far more remarkable than just banging them in again in against sub-standard opposition. If anything, it encapsulates the pureness of football because while nobody is debating who the more talented is out of Daei or Ronaldo, his story shows how scoring goals can bring greatness.

He scored 20 goals in a calendar year for Iran in 1996 and with a four-goal haul against Lagos in 2004, became the first man to bring up three figures in international football.

Goal No 84 was perhaps one of the most significant. It was that strike that took him level on the all-time scoring charts with the legendary Hungarian Ferenc Puskas but remarkably, Daei had to score it twice before it could count.

Iran were facing North Korea at Tehran’s Azadi stadium in November 2003 and in the second half, they got a penalty. Daei stepped up, scored, and amid the pandemonium, a fan threw a firecracker onto the pitch that hit a North Korean player in the face.

North Korea walked off and refused to play the game, prompting the referee to abandon the match and award Iran a 3-0 win.

But that meant Daei’s penalty was erased and Puskas stood alone on 84 goals for a little longer. Daei eventually moved level with him for good the following week, again from the penalty spot in a match against Lebanon in Beirut.

Later that November, back in Tehran, Daei scored the only goal of the game against Kuwait to move alone on 85 international goals.

Daei didn’t score in the biggest game he played in for Iran, against the United States in the 1998 World Cup. It was billed ‘the most politically charged match in World Cup history’, and for good reason.

Daei pictured celebrating with Iranian supporters after qualifying for the 1998 World Cup. Around him, fans hold up pictures of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khameini. Iran were drawn against the United States at the tournament, in a game that was billed 'the most politically charged match in World Cup history'

Daei pictured celebrating with Iranian supporters after qualifying for the 1998 World Cup. Around him, fans hold up pictures of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khameini. Iran were drawn against the United States at the tournament, in a game that was billed ‘the most politically charged match in World Cup history’

The day before the game in France, Daei (right) and his team, including coach Jalal Talebi (pictured) were given orders from Khameini not to walk towards the American team

The day before the game in France, Daei (right) and his team, including coach Jalal Talebi (pictured) were given orders from Khameini not to walk towards the American team

Relations between Iran and the US had descended since the 1979 Islamic Revolution which ousted the pro-Western Shah and replaced him with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who denounced the US as ‘the Great Satan’.

The US had severed diplomatic ties with Iran after the US embassy hostage seize in 1979 and the following year supported Saddam Hussein when Iraq inavaded Iran in what became an eight-year war.

FIFA rules state that Team B in a fixture approach Team A and in this case, Iran were B. But on the day before the game, Khomeini had forbidden Daei and the team to walk towards the Americans, so FIFA negotiated a compromise where the US side walked to Iran.

Fortunately, the hostilities between the countries didn’t transcend onto the pitch. Daei and his teammates were each given a bouquet of white roses to walk out onto the pitch with – a symbol of peace in Iranian culture – and they handed them to the Americans before having a team photo together.

Incredibly, Iran then won the game 2-1 with Daei turning provider for the second and decisive goal, scored by Mehdi Mahdavikia. That victory also dumped the States out of the World Cup.

Iran's players headed out onto to pitch with boquets white roses, a peace offering in Iranian culture, to hand over to their opponents on the United States national side

Iran’s players headed out onto to pitch with bouquets white roses, a peace offering in Iranian culture, to hand over to their opponents on the United States national side

Iran and the US players had a team photo together before the match kicked off - Daei is No 10 and pictured fourth left, in the back row

Iran and the US players had a team photo together before the match kicked off – Daei is No 10 and pictured fourth left, in the back row

Daei didn't score for Iran that day but assisted the second goal as they beat USA 2-1

Daei didn’t score for Iran that day but assisted the second goal as they beat USA 2-1

That same summer, Daei was plying his trade in Europe and had joined Bayern Munich from Arminia Bielefeld, but he struggled to transfer his scoring record with Iran to the German Bundesliga.

He scored just six times in 32 games during the 1998-99 season but became the first Asian player to play in the Champions League.

Chelsea fans may remember him when, the following season, he joined Hertha Berlin and scored twice in a Champions League clash against a Blues side containing the likes of Marcel Deasilly, Gianfranco Zola, and the now France manager, Didier Deschamps.

He retired in 2007 when, back in Iran, he scored in the final to help his team Sapia win the Persian Gulf Cup.

Since then, he has had coaching which has delivered varying degrees of success, including a spell at the helm of the Iranian national side.

Daei struggled to replicate his scoring record when he played for Bayern Munich but he became the first Asian player to play in the Champions League

Daei struggled to replicate his scoring record when he played for Bayern Munich but he became the first Asian player to play in the Champions League

And when he joined Hertha Berlin in 1999, he showed his scoring prowess against Chelsea

 

And when he joined Hertha Berlin in 1999, he showed his scoring prowess against Chelsea

Daei scored twice as Hertha defeated Chelsea 2-1 in a Champions League encounter

Daei scored twice as Hertha defeated Chelsea 2-1 in a Champions League encounter

Daei is, however, fully prepared for Ronaldo to break his scoring tally as Portugal’s head into this summer’s tournament as defending champions.

Speaking to Tuttomercato in Italy back in November, he said: ‘I sincerely hope that Cristiano Ronaldo will reach my goal record for the national team.

‘In no way [would I be hurt], it would be a real honor for me if a player of his class could do it.

‘Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players not only of his time but of all time. He is an absolute phenomenon. I would congratulate him directly. But first, he has to get there.’

Daei sends an inspirational message to Taremi

Following Team Melli’s central striker Mehdi Taremi, dazzling run of goals for his club Porto, with the icing on the cake being the goal he scored against Juventus last night, the Iranian Legend Ali Daei sent Taremi an inspirational message.

Ali Daei wrote to Mehdi Taremi: “I am glad that you are becoming more complete every day. I have no doubt that by continuing this process, you will reach the highest of standards.”

Daei scores against Chelsea in 1999/2000 Champions League game at Stamford Bridge.

 

Daei is one of the Iranian players who has played for Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin of Germany and has also scored in the Champions League. He is the Worlds top international goal scorer, followed very closely by the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, whom Taremi helped to defeat last night.

 

Everton rumors about Ali Daei

Everton FCIran

Once a Bundesliga goal scorer, soon in the Premier League?  Ali Daei.Once a Bundesliga scorer, soon in the Premier League? Ali Daei.imago images

The former Iranian international and Bundesliga pro Ali Daei is apparently about to return to international football. According to information from kicker, a club from England is interested in working with the 51-year-old current coach. Rumor has it that it is Everton FC. So far it remains unclear in which role Daei could work for the Premier League club.

The World Cup participant from 1998 and 2006 moved to Arminia Bielefeld a good 23 years ago together with his compatriot Karim Bagheri. From 1997 to 2002, the striker scored 19 goals in a total of 107 Bundesliga games for East Westphalia and then for FC Bayern and Hertha BSC. In the Iranian national team, the metallurgy engineer, who was born in Ardabil in northwestern Iran, achieved an unprecedented record: With 109 goals in 149 international matches, the multiple “world scorer” is still at the top of the ranking of all national players. The Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo is currently hot on his heels as the first European to surpass the 100-goal mark in international matches in November. The Juventus star is currently at 102 goals.

Middle East Tensions Hurting Asian Soccer Ambitions

Steve Price

The Asian Football Confederation has reportedly banned Iran from hosting international matches based on safety fears over the current tensions in the region. Iranian club sides have responded by planning to withdraw from the AFC Asian Champions League. The clubs have said Iran is “safe”, while Iranian media and fans have claimed that politics, rather than security, is behind the AFC’s decision.

Iran are one of the top nations in the Asian Champions League and has some of the best-supported clubs in Asia. Iranian clubs had a poor campaign last year, but the year before that, Persepolis reached the final of the competition. They, along with Esteghlal, Sepahan and Shahr Khodro, will withdraw from the competition should the AFC’s fixture ban not be reversed.

Iranian sides played their matches against Saudi Arabian sides on neutral territory last season, so the move by the AFC isn’t completely unprecedented. But playing any games on neutral territory is damaging to the competition’s reputation. When over 40,000 people turn up in Tehran to watch Estaghlal or Persepolis, it’s a much better advert for the Asian Champions League than when a thousand fans turn up in Doha to watch Estaglal’s ‘home’ match against Al-Hilal.

The Deby in Azadi Stadium

The absence of Iranian clubs in the competition would be similar to Italian clubs deciding to boycott the UEFA Champions League. Few other Asian countries can match Iran’s top clubs in terms of fans. The Asian Champions League is struggling to grow, with low attendance and regular scandals or other embarrassments, so having one of its most important members boycott the competition is the last thing the AFC needs.

But as well as damaging Asia’s main club competition, the current tensions could also damage the United Arab Emirates’ and Qatar’s attempts to bolster their sporting credentials.

The UAE and Qatar have benefited in the past from their relative stability compared to other countries in the region, often hosting ties that can’t be played at the home country’s stadium for security reasons. If Iran is banned from hosting international matches, then it is possible that Iran’s ‘home’ games would be played in the UAE or Qatar.

 

But it seems the current tensions in the Middle East have finally caught up with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, as other soccer teams are staying away.

The USA men’s soccer team canceled its camp in Doha earlier this month due to the “developing situation in the region”, holding it in Florida instead. And last week Manchester United scrapped plans for a training trip to the Middle East in February, while Arsenal have said they are assessing security measures before deciding whether to head to Dubai for warm weather training.

A stadium in Qatar with empty seats

Qatar and the UAE have been popular destinations for these winter training camps in the past few seasons, with many of Europe’s top clubs heading there for the warm weather and high-quality facilities. Qatar’s FA says that “time and again, these teams return to AZF [Aspire Zone Foundation] to benefit from Qatar’s perfect outdoor training weather at this time of year.” This year, Bayern Munich, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven all used the Aspire facilities, apart from Ajax’s US international Sergino Dest who said he “didn’t feel comfortable” due to the tensions.

While showcase events like the Qatar 2022 World Cup or the Club World Cup might grab the headlines, these camps have been like a dripping tap, helping to slowly establish the two countries as reliable regional soccer hubs. With the teams come media, agents, sponsors and so forth, over time making the countries a good place for related businesses to set up offices, helping the local tourism sector, and boosting these countries’ soft power.

The Qatar 2022 World Cup and other showcase events are unlikely to be affected unless things really escalate in the region, but should the security situation in the region remain tense, top European clubs might decide to switch their future winter plans to Florida or to Spain and Portugal where many other clubs from around the world hold their winter training camps, putting a major dent in Qatar and the UAE’s aspirations to boost their global standing through sports.