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Ashkan Dejagah goal not enough to save Fulham

  Team Melli Midfield Dynamo scored for his club Fulham on Wednesday night but was unable to save his club from defeat against Tottenham. The London Derby match ended 2-1 in favor of Tottenham. Masked Man strikes to down Fulham It was a night of firsts at Craven Cottage as Ashkan Dejagah scored his first Premier League goal to put Fulham in front, only to see his celebrations cut short by debut League goals from the young Lewis Holtby and Vlad Chirches, still sporting a plastic mask from the broken nose he sustained in November. A new look Fulham side, led by the recently appointed Meulensteen, headed into the game having made 7 changes from the side that lost to West Ham on the weekend. The changes seemed to have the desired effect as Fulham pegged back Spurs in the first 15 minutes of the game despite not having the lion’s share of possession. The first chance of the night fell to the newly restored Jermaine Defoe who forced a neat but easy save from Steklenburg after breaking through the Fulham back line. Fulham were not to be outdone however and Berbatov found himself clean through in the Spurs area only to see his usually near perfect touch desert him allowing Lloris to easily collect the ball without ever being in real danger.

Queiroz visits Corinthians Club camp in Brazil

Mehdi Mohammad Nabi and Carlos Queiroz will be representing Iran in the Friday FIFA World Cup 2014 draw. The pair have already arrived in Brazil ahead of time and visited Corinthians club camp where they were met by the famous Ex Brazilian Footballer Edu. Edu Gaspar , Ex- Brazil National team and Arsenal , spent four years at Highbury, winning the Premier League title twice and the FA Cup three times. His final game for the Gunners came as they collected their last trophy in the 2005 FA Cup final. In the meeting on Tuesday, both sides agreed on several undisclosed matters. Mohammad Nabi also met with Corinthians vice president and discussed means of cooperation between the Football Federation of Iran and the Brazilian side.

FIFA announces the pots for World Cup draw.

FIFA officially announced the pots for this week's World Cup draw as well as the prize money on the line in next summer's international football showcase. The draw itself, which will place the 32 teams into eight groups, is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 6.
Iran is joined in Pot Three by all the other 3 Asian qualified teams Japan, South Korea &  Australia,  plus United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras, who are considered as lower tier teams in the tournament.Pot One contains top seeds Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay and hosts Brazil.
Pot Two contains the five African teams and two South American teams,England are joined in Pot Four by Croatia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Russia, who are amongst the other unseeded European teams.One of the nine European teams in Pot 4 will be pre-drawn and transferred into Pot 2.The groups for next summer's World Cup will be made up of one team from each of the four pots. Pot 1 (top eight seeds): Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Switzerland, Uruguay Pot 2: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador Pot 3: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras Pot 4: Bosnia, Croatia, England, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, France  
Pot 1
National Team FIFA Ranking
Brazil 10
Spain 1
Germany 2
Argentina 3
Colombia 4
Uruguay 6
Switzerland 8
Belgium 11
 
Pot 1 is comprised of host nation Brazil and the seven top-ranked teams from FIFA's October rankings. These will be the headline squads for each group, and those outside it will likely be rooting for a spot alongside Switzerland, or at least to avoid Brazil, Spain, Germany or Argentina.  
Pot 2
National Team FIFA Ranking
Algeria 26
Cameroon 51
Ivory Coast 17
Ghana 24
Nigeria 36
Chile 15
Ecuador 23
 
At the outset, Pot 2 only has seven teams, made up of national teams from Africa and the South American squads not in Pot 1. Eventually, another European team will be drawn into this pot, but there will be a separate “Pot X” created to avoid three teams from UEFA ending up in the same group.  
Pot 3
National Team FIFA Ranking
Australia 59
Iran 45
Japan 48
Korea Republic 54
Costa Rica 31
Honduras 41
Mexico 20
United States 14
FIFA
Pot 3 is straightforward. It's comprised of teams that qualified from the Asian and North American regions, which includes the United States and Mexico. Teams from this pot will need luck in order to avoid a very difficult draw.  
Pot 4
National Team FIFA Ranking
Bosnia and Herzegovina 21
Croatia 16
England 13
France 19
Greece 12
Italy 7
Netherlands 9
Portugal 5
Russia 22
FIFA
Finally, the fourth pot is all of the remaining European teams. Since there are nine sides, it creates an imbalance that will get sorted out when one is drawn into Pot 2. But again, FIFA is going to immediately draw a South American team from "Pot X" and European team together to avoid three UEFA teams ending up together, as explained during the press conference.

Iran youth prepare for the Valentine Granatkin Memorial

Iran will play in group “A” of  Valentine Granatkin Memorial football tournament the draw XXVI Valentine Granatkin Memorial was held in the headquarters of Russian Football federation. The 16 teams were divided in to four groups: Group "A": Belarus, I.R. Iran, Slovakia, Finland. Group "B": Slovenia, Estonia, Russia, Moldova. Group "C": Japan, Czech Republic, Greece, Azerbaijan. Group "D": Ukraine, Turkey, Saint-Petersburg, Latvia. The tournament will begin January 3, 2014 in Saint-Petersburg, Russia The Valentin Granatkin Memorial - tournament which traditionally features invited national teams composed of under-19 players. the first Granatkin Memorial was held in Moscow in 1981d  – the International youth football tournament initiated by the FIFA President Joao Havelange to perpetuate the memory of the FIFA First Vice-President Valentin Granatkin. Granatkin tournament always was a place of young talents discoveries. Memorial was a place were several future world stars played such as – Andreas Moeller, Oliver Bierhoff, Kirsten Janker, Marsel Desai, Igor Kolyvanov and Alexandr Mostovoy.   Iran was invited and participated in 2 previous tournaments. In 2012 Iran sent the U-19 team , while this current year 2013, Iran delegated its U-17 team. In 2012 Iran was ranked fifth while a year later , the U17 dropped to seventh.  

Jahanbakhsh the promising boy, by Dutch journalist.

Alle aandacht voor Jahanbakhsh

Translated from Dutch December 2, 2013 06:33

Every attention to Jahanbakhsh

Personally, I was to report the match between AZ Alkamar and NEC in Nijmegen. That was a fine football afternoon . AZ really had to do some major changes because of injuries and suspensions, while NEC finally seemed to realize that , in order to climb from bottom of the table, they need to rolled up the sleeves and fight hard. NEC won , 3-2 . It was a lovely game, with thanks to the referee Pol van Boekel. Former footballer who recognizes emotions in players and a referee who is able to distinguish the real violation of Diving. But most attention was grabbed by one Alireza Jahanbakhsh, an Iranian footballer. Still a boy actually, he has just turned 20 . He debuted three years ago at Third Division side Damash Karaj, a third division club from Iran ... He soon moved to SC Damash in the top division , and from there he was selected for the Iranian youth team . NEC scouts saw him play in Dubai and because through the village of Beuningen , in the outskirts of Nijmegen , there is some business linkages with Iran , also came to a real three-year contract. Under Alex Pastoor he did not to play a lot, but since a few weeks , that has all changed. It also witnessed a remarkable change in Alireza. He did not speak the language, but has now quickly learned English and knows the anthem of NEC ! Alireza Jahanbakhsh has in a very short time adjusted to the rules and regulations of professional football in the Netherlands in general and NEC in particular. He has already made ​​his debut for  the national team of Iran and scored his first goals for NEC . That's clever , very clever . Go there but turned , without your family around in a short time which make the sporting expectations in a totally alien environment . Especially the way he really gives everything on the pitch. Throws his whole heart and soul into the game and is an example for his teammates. He knows why he has made ​​the long trip to the Netherlands. He wants to succeed as a professional footballer anyway possible. NEC will benefit from him. The question is though , for how long? Top clubs will not sleep ...they will be watching him. Leo Driessen Original article HERE      

The most expensive World Cup ever for the fans.

Despite Team Melli success in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 , it is highly unlikely that many fans from Iran will be making the trip to Brazil comes next June.

Abbas Torabian , a member of the FFIRI and former head of the Futsal committee, said that this World Cup will be the most expensive tournament for fans from Iran to attend. Torabian who was a regular traveler to Brazil during his stint with Team Melli futsal team , was engaged in a study to determine the approximate cost for Iranian fans to make it to Brazil and arrange a package for the fans. He is assisted by some Iran9an expatriates in Brazil and local tour operators to facilitate and support Iranians fans who can afford the long trip.

Torabian said that " a plane ticket will cost around US$ 2,220 at least and could vary during the World Cup. The match tickets for the 2014 World Cup are the most expensive ever in the history of the competition starting around US$300. " Torabian also noted that " Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro are two of the most expensive cities on record and the cost of accommodation varies with the class of hotels. Good quality hotels is quite expensive compared to the prices in Iran or Middle East in general". To make matters worst for Iranian fans, the distances between venues for matches could mean domestic flights of 2 to 3 hours, which is an added expense. "Brazil is a big country and the venue could mean a 2 to 3 hours flight " Torabian said "It all depends on the draw that Iran will have, but in any case , we will be playing each match in a different city and venue"

"With the help of some Iranians living in Brazil , we are trying to arrange the best possible package for our fans, specifically focusing on accommodations in Brazil" Torabian said. "Considering everything , we expect that the cost of attending the World Cup for fans from Iran to be close to US$ 12,000 each"

With such prices as quoted by Torabian , it is extremely unlikely to see a flock of Iranian fans to Brazil. IThe last World Cup Iran took part was 2006 in Germany. Despite the large and respectable numbers of Iranian supporters in the stadiums, especially in Frankfurt where Iranian fans outnumbered the Portuguese 2 to 1, almost the majority of the fans where Iranian expatriates living mainly in Europe and some from North America. The number of fans from Iran was quite small due to expenses and difficulty in obtaining visas and hard currency.  In Brazil 2014 , the numbers that would probably make it from Iran will even be substantially less than Germany 2006.

The best hope for Team Melli support comes from the Iranians living in North America and to a lessor extent expatriate Iranians in Latin America which is not a big number.

Group D Portugal v Iran - World Cup 2006

Jahanbakhsh scores a brace in NEC win.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh , the promising young Team Melli player, scored twice for his dutch club to record a rare win in the  Netherlands - Eredivisie . Jahanbakhsh who has started the game  against AZ Alkmaar scored in 53rd  and then on the  72nd minutes  for a final result of a 3-2 win for the bottom of the table club. Jahanbakhsh received a yellow card after scoring his first goal and was substituted in the 90th minute. Alireza Jahanbakhsh who scored his first international goal for Team Melli when he came in as a substitute against Thailand, is in a good run forcing himself as a stsrter for the Dutch club. In another development for the Team Melli legionnaire , Ashkan Dejagah learned today afternoon that his manager has been sacked, Martin Jol , the Dutcg manager of FDulham was under intense pressure after a series of bad results which sent Fulham to the bottom of the table. Jol hardly utilized Dejagah much despite fans demand and his good displays whenever he played.  

AC Milan legends give Iranian soccer fans a boost

(CNN) -- As Iran's relations with the Western world seem to be thawing following a historic U.S. agreement over its nuclear production, sport is also doing its part to bring Tehran in from the cold. AC Milan, the world's most successful soccer club in terms of trophies won, sent a team stacked full of its former stars to take part in a charity match against counterparts from Persepolis FC. Thursday's game, watched by 65,000 fans in Persepolis' Azadi Stadium, was won 3-1 by the seven-time European champion. But as Iran's nuclear deal will help lift some of the economic sanctions that have hurt its growth, this exhibition has bigger meaning for Persepolis and the development of Iranian football. It is part of a collaboration that began at the end of last year when Persepolis president Mohammad Rouyanian visited Italy to meet with Milan chief executive and V.P. Adriano Galliani. Milan's website reports that the "Rossoneri" ("black and reds") will be sharing knowledge of the club's successful youth academy with Persepolis -- which is Iran's most successful team and one of the most popular in Asia. "Mohammad Rouyanian expressed his admiration for the way that the club and its proprietor made Milan the most decorated in the world," the website said. "The desire to create and develop a form of collaboration between the two clubs came naturally. "Collaboration is already underway that will see the Milan Academy help to export and replicate the Milan Model with Persepolis, which celebrates its 50-year anniversary this year." Legendary defender Paolo Maldini headed a star-studded Milan lineup at the 100,000-capacity Azadi Stadium for a match that marked the last Persepolis appearance for former Iran captain Mehdi Mahdavikia. Mahdavikia, 36, retired this year following a distinguished career in which he appeared at two World Cups -- representing his country 111 times in all -- and spent eight seasons with German club Hamburg. The Milan team also included another of Italy's defensive greats, Franco Baresi, and his fellow World Cup winner Gennaro Gattuso. Its goals came from Daniele Massaro -- part of Italy's 1982 World Cup-winning squad -- Christian Lantignotti and Stefano Eranio, while Alireza Emamifar scored for Persepolis. "Thank you to @acmilan glorie for coming to Iran and putting a smile on the Iranian AC Milan fans :)" one supporter wrote on Twitter.

Kaffashian: Failure of Nekounam in the AFC awards is not importanat.

Ali Kaffashian , the head of IRIFF has downplayed the failure of Iran and Nekounam winning any awards in the annual AFC awards ceremonies of 2013. Both Team Melli and its Captain , Javad Nekounam were finalist in the categories of "Team of the Year" and the "Player of the Year" respectively , but both were beaten by rivals. In a short radio interview on Friday morning , Kaffashian downplayed the significance of the failure of Iranian teams and individuals not winning the AFC coveted awards and instead focused on the fact that Iran has reached the top of the FIFA Ranking in Asia. Kaffashian said  "that is a significant development and we should work on it to ensure that Team Melli is well prepared for the World Cup". Kaffashian promised that Team Melli will be playing friendly matches soon but declined to give any details. The head of the IRIFF dismissed any notions of plots within the AFC against Iran. "Listen, the committee that selects the winners has done its job as it sees it fit. Nekounam was absent from the return leg of the AFC Champions League semi-final match and obviously the final match. That had a significant effect on his rating. We should not over-blow this issue , it is not very important. We need to move along and work towards preparing our team for World Cup and that is what matters and counts at the moment." Kaffashian told the Radio presenter.    

Team Melli on top of Asian Ranking. Iran climbs to No.1

Team Melli climbed 4 places in the November 2013 FIFA/CocaCola World Ranking to overtake Japan as the highest ranking Asian team in the latest FIFA Ranking published today. Iran accumulated 650 points and ranked 45 in the world. The steady climb in the ranking by Iran is the result of a series of wins in the two official competitions,  FIFA World Cup 2014 and the AFC Asian Cup 2015 qualification rounds. Team Melli was on a terrific run unmatched by any Asian teams and as a result, it has climbed on the top of Asian Ranking, a feat which has not been achieved for many years. Japan, with 638 points dropped 4 places to 48 while South Korea came in third in Asia with 577 points and 54 in the world ranking. Australia is fourth with 564 points and ranked 59. Team Melli currently is not scheduled to play any matches until the last game in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait next year. Currently, there is no news on any friendly matches either. TM IRAN vs Lebanon in Beirut Nov13  

Ranking History

Date FIFA Ranking position
November 2013 45
October 2013 49
September 2013 48
August 2013 52
July 2013 52
June 2013 67
May 2013 57
April 2013 56
March 2013 57
February 2013 58
January 2013 60
2012 59
2011 45
2010 66
2009 64
2008 43
2007 41
2006 38
2005 19
2004 20
2003 28
2002 33
2001 29
2000 37
1999 49
1998 27
1997 46
1996 83
1995 108
1994 75
1993 59
Iran average position from FIFA World Ranking creation is 47
Highest FIFA ranking
15 - July 2005
Lowest FIFA Ranking
122 - May 1996
Best Mover
65 - July 1996
Worst mover
-43 - October 1995