- walfoot.be.
- 30-Nov-2019
The case of Marc Wilmots unleashes the passions in Iran. Team Melli is badly embarked in qualifying for the World Cup 2022 (and the Asian Cup) and the former coach of the Red Devils, in conflict with his federation, is pointed.
Just search the net to find a pretty eloquent hashtag: #WilmotsOut. Clearly, the Dongelberg Bull is not popular among supporters of Iran’s Team Melli who blame him for a certain lack of passion. His financial conflict with the Iranian federation would only be one of the reasons for this malaise. “I think that Wilmots does not ’feel the passion’ the job of coaching Team Melli” says the administrator of the Twitter page Iran Team Melli, which covers the news of the Persian selection. “It’s the same team that got good results under Queiroz, to explain such failures, one needs to focus on the coaching responsibility.
A very absent coach
Beyond the tactical side, Wilmots is criticized on all sides for his limited presence in Iran and his lack of general involvement. “I know of course that living in Iran is complicated, especially at the family level. The former coaches did not live in the country,” explains our speaker. “But I think he could have done much more work on this.” Which another Iranian supporter confirms “Queiroz spent twice as long in Iran, sending his assistants to scouting, Wilmots comes to the country as much as I go to the movies,” he laments.
“I respect Wilmots, I was happy with his choice, Iranian fans are divided into two types categories, the nostalgic for Queiroz era and the anti-Queiroz crowds, the latter often being the Iranian media, but I think Wilmots is not comfortable with his job in Iran, he is afraid of not being paid to play in Iraq (the match was finally relocated) … “, details the admin of Team Melli. “Payments: here is where the rub and for once, Marc Wilmots is in his right, even his critics recognize. “
“Sanctions are the reason for late payments for Marc Wilmots,” confirms Alireza Mohamadi, Iranian journalist, who adds however that the former coach of the Red Devils “has always been respectful in its relations with the media and supporters of Iran”. And while Carlos Queiroz is still highly respected in Iran for his work, he too had shouted fury at FFIRI. Not only for himself but also to defend the rights of his players, also paid late.
If the situation seems stalled for a few days and the public statements of Marc Wilmots, who ensured that the case is now handled by his lawyers, one thing is almost certain. Willy’s Persian adventure is close to an end, in good or bad. A failure was difficult to judge on the sporting level. To forge the greatest success so far with the Red Devils, Wilmots had placed his bets on the human aspect and his skills as being a great motivator, counting on his qualities of leadership to weld the group. Difficulty in communication with barely Anglophone Iranian players will have made this impossible, just like an obvious cultural shock and a virtual impossibility to live on the place where he would work.
Of course, if Marc Wilmots accepted the challenge of Team Melli, it is probably for remunerations justifying this risk-taking that had a perfume of failure from the beginning – it is the opinion of Romain Molina, specialist of football in the Middle East. “Huge stupidity,” he says on social networks. This may be the best possible conclusion – for all parties, Wilmots and Iran … “