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Iran climbs to 22nd in FIFA World Ranking

Team Melli has reached one of its highest FIFA ranking in history as it achieved the 22nd spot in the world while maintaining the top of AFC Asian ranking.

In the list that was issued today by FIFA, Iran climbed 7 spots from last month to accumulate 1516 points just behind Peru and one spot above Austria.

The credit to this success gores to the results of Team Melli in the AFC Asian Cup where Iran played 6 matches winning 4 , drawing 1 with a single loss.

Japan took the 2nd spot in Asia and 27th in the world with a whopping 23 places climb after reaching the Finals of the AFC Asian Cup 2019.

South Korea also had a very good rise with a 15 places climb to no 38 in the world and 3rd in Asia followed by Australia which lost 1 place to 42 and 4th in Asia.

The greatest climb was for Asian Cup 2019 champion Qatar who leapfrogged number of team and climbs an incredible 38 positions to 55 in the world and fifth in Asia.

 
AFC Rank FIFA Rank Team Points Previous Points Rank Change
1 22 Iran 1516 1481 7
2 27 Japan 1495 1414 23
3 38 Korea Republic 1451 1405 15
4 42 Australia 1441 1436 -1
5 55 Qatar 1398 1258 38
6 67 United Arab Emirates 1355 1309 12
7 70 Saudi Arabia 1344 1335 -1
8 72 China PR 1339 1317 4
9 80 Iraq 1310 1271 8
10 83 Syria 1286 1322 -9
                 

Interview with Ali Daei

Daei is a legend in football. In his playing days, he achieved records and milestones engraving his and his country’s name in the archives of World Football. He is still respected as a football personality and his World Record international goals scored will be very difficult to beat for decades.

Daei ventured into management and coaching, his success was instantaneous, but that success brought a type of grandiose, complacency, narcissism and egoistic attitude that mars Iranian football coaches and management for decades.

Although he coached Team Melli well and achieved great results initially, he failed in the most important match and the game that really counted. In football, that is all it takes between Success and Failure…one result and he failed to deliver. Probably a similar path to Queiroz.

 

He was sacked from his post as Team Melli coach after that defeat against arch rivals Saudi Arabia in Azadi, never to return back to Team Melli. He is still a respected personality. But in this interview conducted recently, his words shows he has yet to learn from errors and experiences of past and that what typifies the mentality of Iranian coaches and managers. Always putting the blame on others while claiming righteous ideas for themselves. Daei is a typical Iranian coach who will go overboard to protect himself in a self-obsessed manner while having the freedom of the sky and earth to criticize and attack others for expressing their opinions or for not doing their job as he (Daei) believes it should be!.

Ali Daei normally answers a question by asking another question and conflicts himself in several issues. Some of his logic is truly questionable, like when he says “It is easy to judge a game after it is over!!!”..But of course everyone do judge after what they see, observe and experience NOT before the game!

We publish this interview because Ali Daei is still an honorable person who deserves recognition for all his achievements, but also to enlighten the fans on the thought process of an Iranian coach and why they should not coach Team Melli at these times.

* There are a lot of rumors around you and Team Melli.  Mahdi Taj has said that he had talks with you regarding the appointment of Team Melli head coach. Can you comment on that?

No, I did not have any talk with anyone regarding Team Melli.

* If you are given an official offer, would you consider it?

There are currently no offers on the table, I am Saipa coach and I'm focusing on my team.

* Carlos Queiroz has been here for eight years and eventually he left. Do you think that Queiroz will be the loser in this deal or Iran's football?

Our football has been on a long road of decline and it is damaged due to lack of facilities and poor infrastructure in the country. Clubs cannot generate enough money to sustain and the level of the league is steadily declining, what can we do? Queiroz worked hard for Iran's football for eight years and he left without us giving him the deserved appreciation. In my opinion, we should have arranged a farewell ceremony for him after all the hardships that he endured during his tenure with Iranian football. We should have thanked him for all what he achieved and not just allow him to leave like that. We are not such people and we have a rich culture that was not observed in his case.

* After defeat against Japan, lots of criticism was directed towards Queiroz, many said he should have won the Asian Cup. Do you agree with these comments?

I'm asking you, before Queiroz, when did we win any type of championships or titles? When was the last time we won the Asian Cup ?  Did you expect Queiroz to win the World Cup or think that we would easily win the Asian Cup? I say with certainty, if we won the Asian Cup, all science and knowledge in football would be under question. We have climbed to the top four Asian teams this year with Queiroz. Remember when did we reach the top four ranking the last time? It was fifteen years ago that we did not climb up in the next few years. So how do you expect Queiroz to easily win the title?

 * There were high expectations, so high that everybody wanted to become a champion. Isn’t that legitimate?

When you are expecting a championship you should also provide the necessary tools and facilities. You have to run the coaching staff preparations programs as he deems fit. Go and see where our football is in Asia in terms of facilities, and then talk about the championship in Asia.

* So do you think that after the defeat by Japan, the fans were unfair to him?

Unfortunately, we did it not only with Queiroz but with other coaches. Now we have a situation in which I think our football has not enough money to make deals such as Mr. Queiroz’s contract or bigger coaches. That's why I think the federation would not leave Queiroz easily, but you should know that Queiroz was a high-level coach who had qualified Iran twice in two consecutive terms for the World Cup, which was unprecedented in the history of Iranian football. That's why we should be grateful to Queiroz.

* Before the Asian Cup, there were a lot of criticisms of Carlos Queiroz's performance, and you yourself have suggested that some of those critics are eyeing his (Queiroz) job. Do you have a similar opinion to the national team critics now?

If you want to analyze properly, we really cannot technically fault him. Perhaps, technically speaking, he should not have done this at the that time, or things like that, but talking after the game is very convenient. After the game with Japan, I can easily say that that player should not have started or the tactics were wrong, the team should have played a different game plan, but I'm not in the team that allows me to comment on before the match. I want to say that after you see a game, you can ask a lot of things, but it's important that you have the right opinion before the match(!!) Certainly there were some issues that had been discussed by all experts after the game with Japan.

* Do you think Klinsmann, Zidane and Mourinho are interested in coaching Iran football one day?

What facilities do you have to attract these coaches? I'm sorry that Mr. Maziar Nazemi speaks about these issues. He is in the Ministry of Sports and the ministry has nothing to do with football. Nazemi's rant is a government intervention in the the work of football federation and that is in direct violation of FIFA rules. Not only he, but also Mr. Soltanifar, cannot comment on the  national team manager. The only authority that can decide on the appointment of Team Melli coach is the federation or, ultimately, the board of directors of the federation.

As for the names you mentioned, do you see that Zidane who left Real Madrid will come to Iran or even Klinsmann. I dearly wish we do not fool around with people's thoughts and emotions and be honest with them. You think these coaches come to Iran with $ 100,000 or $ 200,000. You ask Mr. Nazemi  How much was salary of Mourinho at Manchester United? Or ask how much was Zaidane's contract? How can we pay this money? Mr. Nazemi, I have a question for you, what do you do in the football federation? If you do not have a post in football federation, talk to the ministry of sports where you have a position. FIFA has banned government intervention in football.

* Do you have recommendations for the Iranian Football Federation as one of the Iranian football myths?

Insha’llah they can take the right decision. We have enough time and we should not miss this time. We need to think about the national team and choose a good coach for the national team to prepare ourselves for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Now is the best time to rebuild ourselves.

* Pensioners were not removed from the Football Federation like other sport federations. What do you think of these issues?

I do not know much about retirement laws and regulations, and I do not like to enter and talk about these issues, but we need to look for a manager in our football and bring someone who will manage our soccer effort well. We must look for someone who loves serving and has good ideas.

Sardar Azmoun signs for Zenit St Petersburg

Team Melli forward Sardar Azmoun, known in his home country as the ‘Iranian Messi’, has signed for Russian side Zenit St Petersburg from Rubin Kazan.

The striker arrived at Russian Premier League leaders Zenit for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around €12m (£10.5m).

Azmoun was Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers transfer target

Due to teams enjoying an extended winter break, the Russian transfer does not close until Friday 22 February.

Wolves had agreed a £1.7m loan fee with Kazan for the striker, with an option to buy on a permanent deal in the summer for £11.5m.

But the deal fell through because Kazan wanted an obligation to buy included, rather than the option which Wolves would agree to.

Azmoun has scored four league goals for Kazan this season, but helped Iran to an Asian Cup semi-final spot, where they lost 3-0 to eventual runners-up Japan.

Zenit also completed the signing of Wilmar Barrios from Boca Juniors on Friday, with the Colombian midfielder seen as a replacement for Leandro Paredes, who moved to Paris Saint-Germain for £35m.

Qatar stuns Japan to win Asian Cup 2019

Qatar produced the most famous moment in its sporting history Friday after defeating Japan 3-1 in the final of the Asian Cup.

In a tournament that has been as much about the geopolitical struggle in the region as much as the football itself, Qatar secured the sweetest of triumphs courtesy of goals from the competition's top scorer Almoez Ali, Abdelaziz Hatim and Akram Hassan Afif.
To win the title was perhaps unexpected, but to do so in the United Arab Emirates, one of the countries to join with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in breaking off relations with Qatar in June 2017, is likely to feel even more satisfying for those in Doha.
Almoez Ali's spectacular overhead kick gave Qatar the lead.
Almoez Ali's spectacular overhead kick gave Qatar the lead.
While Qatar's participation in the tournament was ostensibly about football, the talk throughout has often steered away from the sport and instead centered on the political and diplomatic strife in the region.
Qatar's 4-0 win over the UAE in the semifinal was particularly difficult for the host nation to swallow, but this result is likely to prove even more embarrassing with celebrations likely to last all night in Doha.
The boycott of Qatar, the worst diplomatic crisis to hit the Gulf Arab states in decades, followed allegations that the state was supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region.
Qatar rejected the accusations, labeling them "unjustified" and "baseless."
Much of the criticism aimed at Qatar comes from its alleged support of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic group considered a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Qatar supporters cheer during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final football match between Japan and Qatar.
Qatar supporters cheer during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final football match between Japan and Qatar.
Qatari citizens were given 14 days to leave Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, while all three countries banned their own citizens from entering Qatar.
Yemen, Mauritius, Mauritania, the Maldives and Libya's eastern-based government also joined the boycott.
The air and land blockade imposed on Qatar also meant that the national team had to take a longer route to reach the UAE, flying via Kuwait instead.
Abdelaziz Hatim of Qatar scores his team's second goal against Japan.
Abdelaziz Hatim of Qatar scores his team's second goal against Japan.
But the off-field tensions have not appeared to have had any negative effect on a Qatari side that was ranked 93rd in the world going into the tournament.
Even when the Asian Football Confederation confirmed to CNN that the UAE football association had lodged a formal complaint with the Asian governing body over the eligibility of two of Qatar's players, a complaint that was dismissed, Qatar seemed unfazed.
Qatar and UAE face off in Asian Cup
Its run to the final of the competition, which included victory over the much-fancied South Korea in the quarterfinal, and UAE in the last four, was remarkable. Under huge pressure and orchestrated anti-Qatari crowd booing their national anthem, the  unwelcome guest demolished the host with a 4 - 0 drubbing.  Each goal scored by Qatar was met by throwing objects, water bottles and obscenities against the celebrating Qatari players.
There were no Qatari citizens in the stadium, as they are not allowed in UAE but the Omani and Iranian fans did the job of support in the stadium instead of the absent Qatari fans.
And yet, against a Japan side, a four-time winner of the competition, it reached a whole new level.
Led by Ali, whose spectacular overhead kick was his ninth goal of the tournament, a new record for the Asian Cup, Qatar doubled its lead on 27 minutes when Hatim fired home.
Japan's forward Takumi Minamino scored in the second half.
Japan's forward Takumi Minamino scored in the second half.
Japan fought back in the second half with Takumi Minamino halving the deficit in the 69th minute, the first goal Qatar had conceded in the tournament.
But any hopes Japan had of rescuing the tie were firmly extinguished when Afif kept his cool to score from the penalty spot to settle the tie and start the celebrations.
For Qatar, the host nation of the next World Cup, 2022 cannot come soon enough.

AFC rejects UAE protest on Qatar players.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have rejected a protest against the eligibility of two Qatar players in the country's Asian Cup squad. The UAE Football Association had formally protested after Tuesday's semi-final loss to Qatar that Almoez Ali, a 22-year-old striker born in Sudan, and Bassam Al Rawi, a 21-year-old defender born in Baghdad, did not qualify to play for their opponents on residency grounds because they have not lived continuously in the Gulf state for at least five years over the age of 18. The AFC said in a statement on Friday: "The Asian Football Confederation Disciplinary and Ethics Committee on Friday dismissed the protest lodged by the United Arab Emirates Football Association over the eligibility of two Qatar players." Qatar take on Japan in the final of the competition at 6pm on Friday at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.

Morteza Pouraliganji join QSL club Al Arabi

Morteza Pouraliganji, Team Melli's central defender has signed for Al Arabi Club of Qatar Star League .

Pouraliganji who previously played for  Al-Sadd last season, transferred to the Belgian side K.A.S Epen after FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, but failed to play a significant role in the team and remained unsettled. After a half-season, during the winter break , the player terminated his contract with Epen and signed with Al-Arabi in Qatar. This news was confirmed by al Kaas TV network.

As it stands, Pouraliganji will again be in the Qatari Star League. Currently, players such as Omid Ebrahimi, Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh, Mehdi Taremi and Ramin Rezaeian are playing in Qatari teams.

Sour grapes: UAE files a protest against Qatar Team players eligibility.

The UAE Football Federation officially challenged the eligibility of some Qatari players who appeared for the Qatar National Football team in the AFC Asian Cup 2019 hosted by UAE. The written protest was given to AFC within the permitted time after the semi-final of the Asian Cup. The complaint  is yet another layer to Qatar’s politically-charged progress to the finals in the UAE, which as a country is part of a quartet boycotting Doha socially, economically,  and politically. The UAE Federation has attached the required documents to confirm the validity of the appeal before 48 hours of the match finishing time, which was held on Tuesday. According to Emarati media, the UAE football federation prepared a file containing official documents proving act of fraud by Qatar in the naturalization of several players, specifically Iraqi Bassam Al-Rawi and Sudanese AlMoez Ali. Qatar comprehensively defeated host UAE  4-0 in the semi-finals amid shameful scenes from the hostile and abusive local fans which started from booing the national anthem of Qatar, to throwing objects at Qatar players and chanting abusive politically driven chants in the stands. The official campaign of ill treatment of Qatar began before any ball was kicked in the tournament starting with denying access to 5 Qatari journalist and then Saoud al-Mohannadi , the Qatari official and senior Asian Cup tournament organizer was denied entry 24 hours earlier, amid a simmering diplomatic dispute between the two countries. Saoud al-Mohannadi, is vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Qatar Football Association, he is also standing for the upcoming election of AFC presidency against the current president Salman bin Khalifa. While the Asian Cup was being played, there was hardly any day without UAE media news and editorials attacking Qatar in an orchestrated move by the authorities to undermine the gas-rich Persian Gulf State and disturb the team’s concentration. The effect of political conflict cum animosity was clearly felt in the Mohammed Bin Zayed stadium among the local fans. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain are the four countries that have broken diplomatic relations with Qatar and closed all their skies, ports and land access to Qatari vehicles, goods and people. There was no Qatari fans in any of the Qatar matches, however small pockets of Omani fans shown their support for Qatar during this tournament. There was no Qatari press or photographers in the UAE.

Qatar thrash UAE amid ugly scenes to reach final

Qatar punished unwelcoming hosts United Arab Emirates 4-0 in a politically charged clash marred by disgraceful crowd behavior on Tuesday to reach their first Asian Cup final.

The Qataris, whose national anthem was drowned by boos before the game, face Japan in Friday's final after goals from Boualem Khoukhi, Almoez Ali, Hasan Al-Haydos and Hamid Ismaeil sealed victory for the 2022 World Cup hosts amid ugly scenes in Abu Dhabi.

As they celebrated victory and a record sixth clean sheet at a single Asian Cup, shoes were thrown at them and plastic bottles rained down from angry local fans -- as they had for every Qatar goal, midfielder Salem Al-Hajri hit on the head after their third.

A clash bristling with simmering regional tension over the long-standing Gulf blockade of Qatar quickly burst into life as a meaty tackle from Bandar Al-Ahbabi on Akram Afif put the Qatari midfielder up in the air.

But Qatar drew first blood after 21 minutes when Khoukhi's shot squirted under UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, to the horror of a hostile crowd of 38,000.

Afif was then targeted by bottle-throwing Emirati fans as he tried to take a corner, appealing desperately to the referee as he stepped away from the kick.

Qatar exacted swift retribution eight minutes before the break, Ali smashing home a right-footed shot from the edge of the box to equal Ali Daei's 1996 record of eight goals in a single Asian Cup.

As the Sudan-born striker celebrated with his team mates, more bottles and shoes were flung at the players as the atmosphere began to turn sinister.

A half-time entertainer sang "Let's bring Asia together" but there was little harmony as the crowd -- boosted by mass giveaways exclusively to locals -- continued to hurl abuse at the Qataris. Many political chants in Arabic were heard from the UAE fans on opposite side of the grandstand.

Qatar never looked seriously threatened and captain Al-Haydos coolly chipped in a third to spark more fury from the UAE fans, Al-Hajri knocked to the ground as more missiles streamed onto the pitch.

Defender Ismail Ahmed was then shown a red card in stoppage time for an elbow on Al-Hajri before Ismaeil added a fourth to compound UAE's misery. At the end of the game, Ismael al Hammadi who was substituted out ran towards the Qatari players with the intent to attack and possible inflict bodily harm. It took several of his teammates to retrain him.

The disgraceful acts of the UAE fans has marred the reputation of the host and the effort of the Local Organizing committee. Despite hundreds of security personnel who cordoned the pitch, bottles , shoes and anything the fans could throw , reached the pitch. No fan was seen arrested and no attempt by the security to apprehend the culprits was recorded.

The Politically charged match, fueled by local media and bad blood between the politicians of the two countries , did not seem to affect the players, who were admittedly more focused on winning the match,  however the fans were something entirely different and the FAC has one bif decesion to make against this type of behaviur.

Disconsolate Ashkan Dejagah

Al Ain:

Veteran Iran midfielder Ashkan Dejagah cut a disconsolate figure after his side were eliminated from AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 at the semi-final stage by a 3-0 defeat to Japan on Monday. Appearing in the final four for the first time in 15 years, Team Melli held their own in a competitive first-half, but never recovered from the concession of Yuya Osako's opening goal, with Japan taking full control and ultimately cruising into Friday's final.

It was a forgettable conclusion to an Iranian campaign which had promised so much, but ended, once again, in knockout stage disappointment.

"I believe it was a good tournament for the players and, for the young players, it’s been a good experience," said former Bundesliga and Premier League star Dejagah.

"We performed well until this game. Even in this game, before we conceded, the team was performing well.

"Obviously, Japan are a good team. They put pressure on us, they wanted to go to the final as well, but if we had a little luck, if Sardar (Azmoun's) opportunity was converted into a goal in the first half, maybe the outcome of the game would have changed.

"But this is football, unfortunately we couldn’t do it today.

"While Carlos Queiroz's side had a number of potent attacking weapons on the pitch at Hazza bin Zayed's Stadium, they missed the creativity of suspended forward Mehdi Taremi, and Dejagah conceded the Al Gharafa forward's absence had made life difficult.

"Well, we have good players. I believe the whole team can play well," said the Iranian skipper.

"However, obviously Taremi’s absence affected us. He really helped us out in the last couple of games."

With four wins, no defeats and five clean sheets in their opening five matches, Iran were one of the AFC Asian Cup's form teams, leading many of the fans to dream of an end to their 43-year Asian title drought.

But, with those dreams unfulfilled, Dejagah, who will be 36 when the next AFC Asian Cup is held in 2023, said the result would take time to get over.

"We win together and we lose together. Unfortunately, today we couldn’t [win]. Nevertheless, thanks to the team for trying," he offered.

"It’s hard to talk right now. I have nothing to say. Some time must pass, it’s hard."

Queiroz calls time on Iran adventure

Al Ain:

Carlos Queiroz signalled his intention to stand down from his role as head coach of Islamic Republic of Iran on Monday after his side were knocked out of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 by Japan.

Yuya Osako’s double and a late strike from Genki Haraguchi mean Iran’s AFC Asian Cup-winning drought will extend for another four years after a 3-0 loss at Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium took the four-time winners into Friday’s final at Team Melli’s expense.

Queiroz has been at the helm of the Iran national team for eight years, but he suggested he will no longer continue a reign which has seen him lead the country to back-to-back appearances at the FIFA World Cup.

The most important thing for me today is to say I am so proud and this venture, this journey, of the Iranian players has been fantastic,” said Queiroz.

“They deserve to be in the final to be honest, but I think the most simple thing is to say, copying the famous song” ‘And now the end is here.’ And I’m very happy and very proud because I did it my way and it’s time to show my gratitude to the Iranian fans having coached these players and this team for eight years.

“I wish all of them the best of success that they deserve.”

Iran were making their first appearance in the AFC Asian Cup semi-finals since 2004 and shaded a competitive first half, but the game turned in the 56th minute when their defence switched off following a clash between Morteza Pouraliganji and Takumi Minamino.

While the Iranians protested to referee Christopher Beath, Minamino played on and delivered the cross from which Osako opened the scoring.

The Werder Bremen striker then doubled the lead from the penalty spot before Haraguchi put the result beyond any doubt in injury time with an emphatic strike as the Japanese advanced to a fifth AFC Asian Cup final since 1992.

“That moment created an emotional breakdown in my team and after that there was only one team on the pitch and that was Japan,” said Queiroz of the opening goal. “Just to say the best team won, the best team deserve to be in the final and congratulations to Japan.

“But special congratulations and a huge, huge, huge thank you to my players for everything they gave playing all these years, taking into consideration the difficulties, the adversity, the limits and the conditions they have. They are going to be in my heart for the rest of my life.”