TEHRAN – Former Iran national team captain and Persepolis veteran Afshin Peyrovani has been dismissed from his role as team manager, following what the club describes as a serious lapse in professional conduct.

The controversy erupted during the Nowruz holidays, at a time when the United States and Israel had launched a coordinated military aggression against Iran. Against this backdrop of active war, Peyrovani traveled unexpectedly to the United States, a decision that drew sharp criticism from within the club and among some of the fans.

In response, Persepolis released a statement suspending Peyrovani's professional relationship with the club and confirming that his case would be referred to the disciplinary committee upon his return to Iran.

Failure to Return Seals His Fate

According to club sources, Persepolis recently resumed training ahead of the new season. However, Peyrovani neither returned to Iran nor attended any team activities. His continued absence prompted the club's management to take final action, issuing an official order expelling him from the club.

National Team Manager Speculation Now in Doubt

Prior to his dismissal, there had been growing speculation that Peyrovani, who enjoys significant backing within the Football Federation, including support from national team head coach Amir Ghalenoei, was a leading candidate to replace Mohammad Mohammad Nabi as Team Melli manager.

Insiders suggest that Peyrovani's strong ties to key figures in Iranian football made him a plausible choice for the role. However, following this latest episode and his subsequent firing from Persepolis, sources indicate that any chance of him being offered the national team position has now effectively evaporated.

What's Next?

Peyrovani has yet to issue a public statement regarding his dismissal or the events leading up to it. The disciplinary committee is still expected to review the case, though with his expulsion already finalized, the move appears largely symbolic at this stage.

For now, one of the most respected names in Iranian football finds himself on the outside of the game he once helped define, his future in the sport uncertain. Peyrovani was part of Iran Squad in the FIFA World Cup 1998, where Iran defeated USA 2-1 to record its first-ever victory.

Tehran – Former Team Melli player and current coach Hamid Derakhshan believes that the lack of competitive matches and the decline in players' physical fitness could severely reduce Iran's chances of advancing to the next stage of the World Cup.

"When a player who has been a regular on the bench in almost all Premier League games is invited to the national team, it is clear that his invitation has no technical justification."

In an interview with an IRNA reporter regarding Team Melli's prospects and the latest status of the national football team, Derakhshan said: "The suspension of the league has no effect on the national team's camps, and there should be no misconception that now that the league is suspended, the players are spending more time together and thus becoming better. Training alone cannot prepare the team; the most important thing is the players' participation in competitive matches. The fact that several valuable and quality players are not present on this list should not be ignored. When the league is not held and a player is not in a competitive situation, his quality declines."

He added: "How can a player who has been called up for this camp but has been away from training and sitting on the bench for most of his club's matches make a difference and be match fit? The coach may have had to invite experienced players to help the team, but experience is only effective when the player is physically and mentally ready. A player who is not playing regularly cannot make the necessary impact."

Derakhshan also cited the performance of teams like Tractor in Asian club competitions as an example, saying: "Compare Tractor's game against Shabab Al-Ahli with their other matches in Asian competitions. The team that had the best defense of the entire tournament lost to Shabab Al-Ahli by three goals. When there is no good training and no suitable conditions, quality naturally deteriorates. This is the biggest problem in our football right now, and in such a situation, we should not expect to achieve good results in the World Cup."

Referring to Aref Aghasi, Derakhshan said: "When a player who has been on the bench for almost all Premier League games is invited to the national team, it is clear that his invitation has no technical merit. Anyone who does not even follow football can recognize this. It is better for me not to talk about this issue further, and let the fans judge such selections themselves. When a player is ready and in match condition, inviting a player who is not playing is meaningless."

In response to a question about inviting young players such as Taheri, Mahmoudi, and Masoud Mohebbi, Derakhshan said: "The coach has invited several young players, but the reality is that none of them have much of a chance to play or to make the final World Cup roster. Whether Iranian or foreign, coaches usually invite these youngsters mostly due to public criticism, but they do not give young players a chance on the field. Out of the 30 players invited, only 18 get to play, and the share of young players is very small. Of course, this list was used for mini-camps, and legionnaire players have not yet been added. 'Youthful' does not mean inviting young players just to fill the list without even giving them minutes to play! This is a process in which Team Melli's coaching staff has not excelled."

Commenting on Team Melli's chances of advancing from the group stage of the World Cup, Derakhshan concluded: "We should not deceive ourselves. With the current situation — no league being held and the lack of player preparation — advancing from the group is not easy at all. It's not as if we can go to the World Cup without effort and planning and still expect to advance. All teams are working hard, and we should be doing the same. I hope Team Melli is successful, but the reality is that our football is not in good condition, and the situation is getting worse every day."

20 April 2025 –

Minister of Sports and Youth stated: "Following the 12-day war against Iran, the FIFA President awarded the Peace Cup to the murderous US president."- The award was to Trump on 5th December 2025)

According to Tasnim News Agency, at the second meeting of the 2026 World Cup coordination committee, Minister of Sports and Youth Ahmad Donyamali opened his speech by addressing what he called the double standards of FIFA and other international sports organizations regarding the criminal US aggression against Iran.

He said: "If any country other than the Great Satan were hosting the World Cup, international organizations would quickly strip it of that privilege. The FIFA President awarded the Peace Cup and medal to the murderous US president even after the 12-day imposed war against Iran. These people are agents of America. We do not need Infantino to come into our locker room and perform a dance for us. He did not even condemn this war."

The Minister continued: "We cannot remain indifferent to the thousands of martyrs we have given. Speaking personally, I am definitely against participating in the World Cup. However, if the government’s interests and orders require us to take part, we must be prepared and do so. Can we not show outrage at America’s recent crimes and then say we will simply go to the World Cup as if nothing happened?"

Donyamali added: "If the global sports community had any sense of honor, it would not only strip America of World Cup hosting rights but the International Olympic Committee would also take away the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. How can they suspend another country from all global sports within four days of an attack, yet do nothing about a country that attacks us twice in nine months and martyrs our leader? The principle of sport is for peace, friendship, and interaction between nations. A country that hosts the Olympics should not be talking about war."

The Minister of Sports and Youth emphasized that, under the current circumstances, the necessary preparations for the national football team’s participation in the World Cup have still been made in accordance with government policy. He added, "The people should know that we are carrying out these preparations with heavy hearts. Do not think we are unaware of their pain. Overall, good training camps have been held, and we have achieved acceptable results in friendly matches. We thank our brothers in Turkey for hosting us. They showed sincere feelings regarding the war against Iran and wished us victory."

Donyamali ordered that the necessary equipment for the national football team be purchased and provided as soon as possible, saying: "We must do our duty properly. Iran’s honor and pride matter to us, so we will not fail. We will try to provide the national team with all necessary facilities and resources."

The Minister of Sports and Youth was then briefed on the latest developments at the Team Melli training camp and heard the opinions and suggestions of representatives from the ministry, relevant organizations, and members of the Football Federation’s board of directors.

Following the withdrawal of Ehsan Maroughi due to illness, the Coaching staff of Team Melli has invited Pouria Shahrabadi to the team's training camp. The young Gol Gohar Sirjan forward has had a good season for his club. The 19-year-old center forward is expected to arrive on Tuesday to join 29 other players who have started training as of today, Monday, 20th April.

Shahrabadi has played 16 matches for Gol Gohar in the current season, scoring 4 goals in the process.

Team Melli's current camp is entirely based on the domestic league players, after the official suspension of the league until the conclusion of the World Cup 2026