Tag: MohammadReza Saket

Branko Ivankovic rumours!

The former Team Melli and Persepolis head coach Branko Ivankovic is rumoured to be approaching a return back to Iran.

The Croat, who left Persepolis after three successful years of winning trophies and titles, was recently interviewed where he denied the possibility of a return back to Persepolis, the club that withheld his wages for over a year. Nevertheless, Ivankovic also said that he is not interested in coaching a national team as he prefers the day to day commitment associated with coaching a club.

History has proven time and again that what coaches say in public about their future jobs, hardly holds true and in reality, anything might happen. Denial is standard practice for coaches on speculation of a new appointment.

What is interesting is that Ivankovic, who is perhaps the most popular and successful foreign coach in Iran’s football history, is out of work and the approval rating of the newish Team Melli coach Marc Wilmots is quite low. Not only Wilmots has failed to get any points out of the last two World Cup qualifiers, but Team Melli is also in serious risk of losing out on qualification which was achieved so easily under Carlos Queiroz in 2014 and 2018. Wilmots, who is a fly-by-night coach who is hardly seen in Iran, is currently back home in Belgium and seems to turn up a day or two before matches! In reality, he will not be in Iran for at least 4 months before the next World Cup qualifiers in March 2020.

Speculations are rife about Ivankovic taking over Wilmots’ job. His knowledge and experience of Iranian football at all levels is second to none. His records and achievements with Team Melli is quite highly regarded and appreciated by the fans. What could be a serious stumbling block with Ivankovic is how to work with a feeble ineffectual and seriously inefficient federation.

Those responsible in the FFIRI, but specifically the Duo Mehdi Taj and Mohammadreza Saket, have time and time again failed Team Melli in many ways. They have always extended their arms begging the government for aids and donations including money to pay their employees and coaches. The FFIRI Lacks solid strategy, philosophy and direction and works on Hail Mary and wishful thinking basis. Just like a few days back when two emotional communique was issued by the International Relations department and published in the official FFIRI website to justify the two costly losses in the World Cup qualifiers. Instead of injecting confidence and providing solutions for Team Melli to recover from this tragedy created by them, the FFIRI went into comprehensive good wishes and good luck philosophy without committing any particular measures. Basically, counting on hope, luck and greetings!

This federation hardly has long term plans for Team Melli, particularly Friendly matches. They claim they have tried, but were not successful to arrange such important matches, which prove the inefficiency of the personnel running the FFIRI.  Under such a cloud of inefficiency, it is difficult to imagine a coach succeeding in Team Melli.

 However, Ivankovic who led Team Melli to FIFA World Cup 2006, has tasted all that and plenty of bureaucracy in the many years he worked in Iran. The Gentleman, as many supporters call him, might fancy himself another challenge and a few bouts with Mehdi Taj. He just might be the answers that the fans are looking for because anything is better than what it is now.

Welmots arrives in Tehran

Marc Welmots, the Belgian coach has arrived in Tehran for negotiation and possible signing of a two year contract to coach Team Melli.

After his arrival. Welmots was taken for a tour to the National Football Teams Training Center for inspection of the current facilities and training grounds. Welmots also planted a tree to mark his visit. He was accompanied by Saket and several FFIRI officials. Welmots then proceeded to the HQ of the federation where he was met by Mehdi Taj, the President of FFIRI. After a short tour of the building in Seoul street, the two sides sat for negotiations and discussion of the contract.

Until the writing of this report, there was no indication if the contract has been agreed and signed by either parties.

According to AFP news agency Marc Wilmots’ contract is for $ 1.2 million per annum to coach Iran’s Team Melli. AFP reported on the selection of Wilmots as the new head coach of the Iranian national team. “The former head coach of the Belgian national team has been replaced by Carlos Queiroz , according to official sources. Wilmots arrived in Tehran on Wednesday morning. The contract with the former head of Belgium Team was approved by the head of the Football Federation of Iran. ” “The Iranian television also broadcast the images of Welmot’s presence at Tehran’s international airport, AFP reported. Wilmots contract is scheduled to be signed by noon today. The contract will be until the end of the World Cup in 2022, and his salary will be $ 1,200,000 a year. “

Is it worth it?

Iranian football has never been exposed to such a humiliating treatment like the ones that it is receiving from this Mozambique born Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz.

For the last few years and due to all sort of reasons, he has been treating the football federation with contempt. Manipulating the faults and the sheer incompetency of the system managed by the likes of Ali Kaffashian , Mehdi Taj and MohammadReza Saket (the so-called Esfahani Mafia), Queiroz has opened a front against the establishment and began a proxy war , agitation technique and a campaign in misleading the stakeholders in order to get out of his commitment and contractual obligation.  Such contempt, disrespect to the people, flagrant disregard for the etiquette of the host country would have sent him on the first flight home if that happened in one of the Persians Gulf countries, however it seems that the Persians are way too accommodating for the “Khareji”.

 Omid Namazi 

Queiroz’s  list of his misdemeanors is as long as an airport runway and it is increasing by the day. His latest antics were the indiscriminate sacking of the Iranian personnel working in Team Melli. From Afshin Peyrovani, unashamed defenders of the Portuguese man who was living in denial to the mild mannered, dedicated and the professional Markar Aghajanian. Before them, Omid Namazi faced the same dilemma.

“At what price and humiliation level do you want to make to the World Cup?” These are the words of Ali Karimi who served under Queiroz for a few days as an assistant coach only to abruptly leave his post and was subsequently bombarded with hate messages and profanities from the same people who used to cheer him on the stands during his playing days, according to Karimi’s own words. But to his credit , Karimi  always maintained silence and never discussed the reason for leaving his Team Melli assistant coach job in such an abrupt manner. Karimi, rightly or wrongly feared instability in the Team Melli camp and to preserve national interest, he remained quiet.

“Now,  you can guess what happened in my case. I say no more, but I hope all those who questioned my loyalty to Team Melli realize where I stand and why I left.” Karimi clearly hinting at the treatment of Iranian assistant coaches are receiving from the Portuguese.

There is no doubt that Queiroz was lied to, promises of support never fulfilled, worked in a chaotic rather than a systematic environment, not paid his wages on time and most importantly lacked the resources to excel in his job, but he knew all of that during his first term and yet accepted an improved offer to continue working in Iran (although physically residing in Dubai and abroad most of the time) . His agreement to extend his contract beyond World Cup 2014 was done after a series of press statements bad mouthing Iran’s football and its administration!

Is it worth it? Is qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2018 worth all of the insults, abuses and cruelties that this Portuguese man is giving to the Iranians in their own country?

A proud nation with thousands of years of culture is being taken to the cleaners by one vindictive man who has an agenda and that is quite literally, anarchy. His vindictive tactics is more petulant than clever too. Using a Persepolis player in his squad to unsettle Branko Ivankovic’s team preparation is one such leverage he selected to take revenge for the Croat coach!!

 The nation that stood against virtually all the great powers and refused to bow to their pressure thus holding its head up high and being proud of it, is unable to deal with the antics of one foreign football coach. Pity those who think that Queiroz is the only man in the world that can take Iran to the World Cup 2018.