Abdul Kazem Taleghani, a member of the Football Federation Executive Committee, claimed that Queiroz’s contract has been extended to the AFC Asian Cup 2019, and there is hope that the Team Melli head coach’s contract will be extended to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Mehdi Taj has long claimed that the federation will continue to co-operate with the Portuguese coach, while foreign media reports indicate the end of the partnership between Queiroz and the Iranian Football Federation. Carlos Queiroz, however, left Tehran to Lisbon without any comments on the subject matter, thus strongly strengthening the speculation about the end of the long partnership with Iranian football.

Abdul Kazem Taleghani, in an interview with ISNA, briefed the news agency about the Executive Committee’s meeting of the Football Federation. When asked about Queiroz’s contract and the willingness of Queiroz to continue  working with the national team, he said ” through Mahdi Taj. we have learned that his (Queiroz) contract has been extended and everything that he (Mehdi Taj) tells us is a proof as far as we are concerned (…). . As far as I know, the contract is valid until the AFC Asian Cup 2019, but I hope it will be extended to 2022 and he will be in the Qatar World Cup.”

Taleghani continued “Mahdi Taj is has the full authority in negotiating with Queiroz , and we support his decisions because we trust his judgment bout the national team.”

The FFIRI board member was asked when will Queiroz return to Iran  “Mr. Saket is in charge of Team Melli m he is Carlos Queiroz direct boss. Although he has just been on vacation and now needs to rest.”

The merry go around or the cat and mouse game between Queiroz and Iran’s Football Federation has been on going for years. Queiroz has mastered the politics of Iranian football and has successfully navigated all the crises, much of it were started by himself. His popularity amongst the fans is on the rise and he is fully taking advantage of that. On the rise are also his contractual demands and his fierce attacks on his opponents, mainly but not limited to , Branko Ivankovic.  His demand is very clear, either a 4 years contract extension or he will pack his bags and leave.

Team Melli head coach, Carlos Queiroz left Tehran to Lisbon, without signing a contract extension after the expiry of the current one with FFIRI.

In the media at least, the FFIRI hierarchy have expressed their confidence that the Portuguese coach  will sign on the dotted line to extend his contract until the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019. This would have been a six month extension while Queiroz has been demanding a 4 year contract.

After the highly succesful performance in the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, the second tournament that Queiroz has succeeded to qualify with Iran, it was believed that Queiroz will focus on negotiation with the Football Federation on his contract, but instead, the Team Melli head coach spent most of his time and energy in trash talking and attacking the Persepolis coach in a repeat performance of the last few months. He has also been highly critical of the federation administrators and lack of support for Team Melli from the government.

No official announcement has been published by the FFIRI on the subject

Reza Ghoochannejad decided that he will quit playing for Team Melli in protest after not being given any playing time in FIFA World Cup Russia 2018.

Gucci was the only goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and played a major part in the team. Four years later, however, Queiroz was not sure if Ghoochannejad, who had his best ever professional season in Holland, will be as useful in Russia as he was in Brazil.

Reza Ghoochannejad (31 years) who plays for SC Heerenveen in the Dutch league, was an unused substitute in all the three Iran matches against Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

After the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 for Iran and the elimination  of Team Melli from the first stage with a very respectable 4 points in the group in which Portugal, Morocco and Spain were present, the result had a very positive reflection in the community and people of the country culminating into hours of joy and Celebration in the streets of Iranian cities.

Carlos Queiroz, who has now become a cult figure among the Iranian masses and a hero, did not waste much time in practicing his habitual rhetoric, attacking his critics as soon as the World Cup adventure was over in yet another controversial interview. His main target of attack was Persepolis’s Branco Ivankovic. When Queiroz was interviewed in a TV show “ 2018 program” he lashed at Ivankovic and cornered him in various areas.

The Team Melli head coach, referred to Ivankovic as a professor who injected venom into the national team and caused a conflict within the squad. Branco Ivankovic was also accused of “destroying” the Emirates Training camp by Queiroz while challenging the Ukrainian players’ presence in Persepolis without given playing  time for the team!!. The Pek foundation, which Queiroz refers to as his legacy in Iran, is another subject in which he has come into clash with  Branco Ivankovic. Queiroz claims that that Ivankovic, along with his friends (Hooman Afazeli), has sought to control and take over the National Development & Training Center.

The head of the Persepolis Club, Hamid Reza Garshasbey, was the first to respond to the interview, and urged the FFIRI not to allow the work of the clubs and the Branco Ivankovic to be undermined by irresponsible and unfounded claims. Queiroz defied Ivankovic in the new interview , and said: “People have to decide; either you or me!”

Ivankovic categorically denied any interference in federation’s  decisions and rejected accusations of disrupting the national team’s squad in a conversation last night well  before the Queiroz interview, he also sought the support of Amir Ghalenoei and Kranjcar Sepahan and Omid team coaches to side with him against the accusations of the Portuguese. However, Queiroz made no  mention of  Ghalenoei or  Krancjar in his interview.

Now the federation faces a major challenge. Perhaps if the most important concern before for the FFIRI was the financial demands of the Portuguese head coach and the duration of the contract (4 years demanded by Queiroz instead of 6 months proposed by the FFIRI) , now the national team manager wants to dismiss his critics from the Persian Gulf Pro League, or at least ignore their wishes, and move towards full and unchallenged implementation of his wishes on the league program.

According to the Mehr News Agency, in the upcoming season, due to the Jakarta Asian Games, the AFC Champions League and the Asian Cup, the Persian Gulf Pro League will have a tight schedule, and naturally, the national team’s interests will be in conflict with the clubs. Armed with the knowledge of this matter, Queiroz has already conditionally related the extension of his contract to preparation schedules, so that the preparations for his team on the World Cup will not be repeated; the days when the national team even trained with three players; One of its main camps was dissolved in the UAE.

Queiroz demands are clear. He needs to ensure Team Mell]s preparation for the Asian Cup and other championship to run perfectly and purely according to his wishes without any challenge, and devoid of any tension with the clubs and their supporters. It seems that the way to approach these demands is to remove or silence his critics who, of course, have many weak points while Queiroz counts on their weaknesses to advance his strategies and plans.