Category: News

Azmoun's injury is a worry as World Cup is fast approaching

News of Sardar Azmoun's injury has been widly circulating in the German social media. According to a fan report and quoted by Fars news agency, Sardar Azmoun, the Team Melli and Bayer Leverkusen's striker suffered a complication while warming up against Porto in the UEFA Champions League match just before being substituted in. Azmoun suffered from a strained biceps muscle, had an MRI Thursday morning, and the result of the tests by the German club's doctors show that the player requires 4 to 5 weeks of rest. With this situation, the Team Melli striker does not have any particular problem to participate in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 after completing his treatment and recuperation period.

With the fact that there are only 45 days left until Iran's first match against England on Monday 21st November, according to the diagnosis of the Medical Staff of Azmoun's injury, declaring that the player's injury will be resolved by then., however, Azmoun will be critically short of match practice and/or recovery training for the first match at least.

Bayer Leverkusen's medical team will update the club on regular basis. Team Melli has yet to comment on the situation.

Xabi Alonso appointed as head coach of Bayer Leverkusen.

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has been officially appointed as head coach of Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, and as such, he will be the coach of Team Melli forward Sardar Azmoun.

After speculation throughout today, Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso has now been confirmed as the new head coach of Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

The German side has had a disastrous start to the 2022/23 campaign, with the team currently sitting 17th in the league table.

Just one place above rock bottom, Bayer 04 has only taken five points from the first eight league games. Coinciding with their league form, performances in Europe also haven't set the world alight, with yesterday evening's 2-0 defeat at Porto being the straw that broke the camel's back.

Under the former Swiss coach, Sardar Azmoun had little playing time.

Team effort powered Iran to semis, says captain Tayyebi

the-afc.com Wednesday 05 October 2022 Kuwait City:
Captain Hossein Tayyebi credited outstanding teamwork for powering Iran into the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Kuwait 2022 semi-finals. 
Tayebi, who starred with his second hat-trick of the tournament, was among six Iranian players on target in the 8-1 quarter-final win against Vietnam on Tuesday. 

#ACFutsal2022 - Quarter-finals | Islamic Republic of Iran 8 - 1 Vietnam

Tayebi was quick to praise his team, stating that his teammates - many of whom are young and inexperienced at the continental level - can only improve as the tournament progresses.
“In my opinion, the whole team should be selected as the MVP. We are all following the coach's guidance and I’m very happy with the result,” said Tayyebi.
“I would like to say that this is a different team, 90 percent of them are playing for the first time in this tournament. I’m very sure that we will get much better with every game.
“I insist that it wasn’t just me, but a team effort, I only had the chance to finish. This is the Iran team, scoring goals for Iran, which is our concept. However, we are young and moving forward in our defence of our title.”
Head coach Vahid Shamsaei hailed the veteran Iranian skipper for his leadership in guiding Iran's new generation of players.
“Hossein is a really good leader for the team, and all the players respect him,” said Shamsaei.
“Hossein always tries to be the mentor among the players. He’s our international player, and that’s what we expect to see from him.”

Worasak: Thailand not afraid of defending champions

the-afc.com Wednesday  o5 October 2022
Kuwait City:
Match winner Worasak Srirangpirot insists Thailand have no fear of semi-final opponents Iran following their 3-2 win against Tajikistan in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Kuwait 2022 quarter-finals on Tuesday.
With 42 seconds on the clock and the game tied at 2-2, Thailand needed a last-gasp intervention from Worasak to secure a thrilling victory.
Worasak, who started the game from the bench, scored his third goal of the tournament after collecting a pass from Sarawut Phalaphruek at the edge of the area, beating Tajikistan captain Dilshod Salomov on the turn before squeezing his shot past keeper Firuz Bozmamadov.
“Congratulations to Tajikistan for playing a good game,” said Worasak, who was named Player of the Match. “They are a strong and skillful team. I knew from the start that we would be tested. We started the game really slow but we improved as the match progressed."
“It was a tight contest with the score at 2-2, however, the players have a good understanding. We are always encouraging each other. In the end, we scored the winner and we’re in the semi-finals. "I want to express my gratitude to the Thailand fans, they motivated us throughout the match and since our first game here in Kuwait."
Thailand will now face the toughest of opponents in Iran but Worasak said the players are not worried about facing the 12-time champions.
“Iran are only slightly better than us. We faced Iran in a friendly before the tournament. In fact, we almost beat them. Iran were leading by two goals but we struck twice to level the score. If it was not for a last-minute goal, we would have beaten them."
“We are confident of beating them and Iran should feel the pressure, not us.”

The football battle of Azmoun and Taremi in UEFA Champions League.

Porto 04. Oct.2022

The much-anticipated clash between the two forwards of Team Melli in the UEFA Champions League ended as a one-sided affair in favor of Mehdi Taremi.

Sardar Azmoun simply did not turn up!

Mehdi Taremi played for 90 minutes in Stadio Dragao for FC Porto against Azmoun's Bayer Leverkusen on Day 3 of the UCL, while Azmoun was an unused substitute. Taremi continued his splendid form and continued where he left off against Braga in the league where he provided 3 assists in a 4-1 win for Porto.

Against Leverkusen, he provided both the assists for his team's goals and was denied by VAR for a splendid goal in the second half. There was nothing wrong with the goal with a counter-attacking move started by Taremi and finished by him. which came from a quick counter-attack as Porto's keeper cleverly found Taremi. The Team Melli forward ran at least 30 yards before passing to his winger and receiving it back via another Porto player. Taremi scored past Hradecky inside the six-yard box with a lunging finish. The English referee Anthony Taylor disallowed the goal as a handball was committed in Porto's box by a defender before reaching the ball to Diogo Costa in Porto's goal.

in the 69th minute, Taremi receives the ball out wide from Galeno, lifts his head, and sends an inch-perfect cross to Zaidu at the far post. The Porto defender uses his pace in the cross to score 1-0 Porto.

Minute 86 Taremi drives with the ball in the box for a few yards before sliding Galeno through for a brilliant goal-scoring chance. The Porto winger did not have even to take a touch to settle himself before shooting due to the accuracy and perfect pace of the pass. 2-0 for Port and that was the end result. MEDI TAREMI with two clinical assists.

Taremi has been involved in four goals in his last five UEFA Champions League appearances at the Stadio Dragao (two goals and two assists), including assisting the winner for FC Porto's last home win in UCL against AC Milan in Oct 2021. Taremi was absent from his side's 4-0 drubbing at home to Club Brugge last time out through suspension,

As for Azmoun, the face-to-face with Taremi did not materialize as he has been a peripheral player under coach Gerardo Seoane who much prefers Schick up front.

This one battle was settled for Taremi. The next round is the reverse fixture where Leverkusen will host Porto on Wednesday 12th Oct. Barring exceptional circumstances like injury, Taremi will be a starter for FC Porto. Now that the Czech forward Patrik Schich is suspended for that fixture, Azmoun might have shot in starting.

We shall see.

 

Iran turns on the style against Vietnam

the-afc.com Kuwait City 04 Oct. 2022 
Iran edged closer to a record-extending 13th AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ title after an impressive 8-1 win over Vietnam in the quarter-finals on Tuesday. 
Iran, who scored their fourth consecutive victory en route to making the Kuwait 2022 semi-finals, will face Thailand - who defeated Tajikistan 3-2 - next.
Just as Iran head coach Vahid Shamsaee had predicted, Vietnam adopted a defensive approach but the defending champions wasted no time in testing goalkeeper Ho Van Y through Salar Aghapour and Hossein Tayebi’s early efforts.
Ho then denied Saeid Ahmad Abbasi and Mohammadhossein Bazyar in the fifth and sixth minutes respectively to keep his side in the game.
The Vietnam keeper, however, could do little to stop Tayebi’s incredible strike in the seventh minute, with the Iran skipper volleying home Moslem Oladghobad’s corner-kick for a deserved lead.
Iran, who scored a whopping 24 goals to top Group C, displayed their attacking brilliance in the 10th minute when Abbasi teed up Aghapour (pictured above), who let loose a scorching right-footed strike from over 20 metres out into the top right corner, before Alireza Rafiei Pour (pictured below) drilled home their third goal moments later from a corner-kick set-piece.
Vietnam could have been further adrift in the 11th minute after committing their sixth foul, but Alireza Javan failed to convert from the second penalty spot. Desperate to stay in the game, Vietnam initiated power play in the 11th minute but found no openings to exploit.
Instead, Iran further widened their lead in the 16th minute when Oladghobad intercepted a pass before relaying it to Tayebi to place the ball in an empty goalmouth.
Vietnam, forced to play on the counter-attack, had a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit  in the 24th minute when Rafiei Pour was penalised for handling the ball at the edge of the box, but the Southeast Asians failed to capitalise.
At the other end, there was no stopping Iran, with Bazyar converting a corner-kick from close range effort in the 25th minute, before Oladghobad’s left-footed strike beat Ho a minute later to make it 6-0.
Vietnam tried to limit the damage by pressing the Iranians with man-to-man marking, but Tayebi completed his hat-trick in the 33rd minute after Abbasi's initial shot deflected off the upright.
Abbasi netted the eighth three minutes later with Vietnam then scoring a consolation - amazingly only the second goal Iran have conceded in the tournament - through Pham Duc Hoa.

Group C: Iran end group stage with another sizzling show

the-afc.com
Sunday, 02 October 2022
Kuwait City:  Defending champions Iran defeated Lebanon 9-0 to end their AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Kuwait 2022  Group C campaign with a perfect record of three wins on Sunday.
The 12-time champions will face Vietnam in the quarter-finals, having booked their place in the knockout stage with a match to spare.
Iran were left frustrated by Lebanon’s early resistance with the West Asians threatening in the third minute through Fadi Greij’s shot, while at the other end Saeid Ahmad Abbasi did well to control Saeid Momen’s long throw but hit his half-volley high above the bar.
Iran gradually took control with Hossein Tayebibidgoli missing the target from just inside the box before Mohammadhossein Bazyar’s forced effort off a corner was easily collected by Lebanon keeper Karim Joueidi.
Iran finally broke the deadlock in the eighth minute with Salar Aghapour netting a beautiful individual effort, shooting into the top right corner.
Alireza Shahkhali was twice denied by the bar before he set up Tayebibidgoli in the 17th minute for the second goal, with Mustafa Rhyem then scoring an own goal.
Lebanon suffered more woe after Mouhammad Hammoud was forced out of the game through injury in the 18th minute, with Moslem Oladghobad then adding Iran’s fourth from distance.
There was no denying Iran’s superiority as they scored their fifth goal a minute into the restart through Bahman Jafari’s long-range effort before Oladghobad netted again seven minutes later.
Bahman Jafari’s long-range effort before Oladghobad netted again seven minutes later.
Lebanon tried to stem the tide but their efforts fell flat as Iran stretched their lead in the 27th minute with Mahdi Karimi scoring from the halfway line into an unattended goalmouth before Aghapour added his second goal five minutes later from close range.
Tayebibidgoli capped the victory in the 39th minute, beating two defenders on the turn before slotting home.

Group C

RANK TEAM P W D L F A GD PTS
1
IRAN
 3 3 0 0 24 1 23 9
2
INDONESIA
 3 2 0 1 11 8 3 6
3
CHINESE TAIPEI
 3 0 1 2 3 15 -12 1
4
LEBANON
 3 0 1 2 3 17 -14 1

Bayern Munich fans express solidarity with Iranian protesters

  • Bayern Munich fans unveiled banners during their game with Bayer Leverkusen
  • They showed solidarity with those protesting in Iran over Mahsa Amini's death 
  • Amini died in police custody after being detained by morality police in Iran
  • The banners were unveiled when Leverkusen's Sardar Azmoun was brought on
  • Azmoun is one of several Iranian footballers to speak out against the Iranian regime

By WILL PICKWORTH FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: | UPDATED: 

Bayern Munich fans expressed solidarity with those protesting in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini during their game with Bayer Leverkusen on Friday night, while also showing support for Leverkusen's Sardar Azmoun.

Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets over the last two weeks in protests over the death of Amini, a 22-year-old woman who had been detained by the morality police in the capital Tehran for allegedly wearing her mandatory Islamic headscarf too loosely.

The protesters have vented anger over the treatment of women and wider repression in the Islamic Republic. The nationwide demonstrations rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the clerical establishment that has ruled Iran since its 1979 Islamic revolution. The protests have drawn support from all over the world with Amnesty International saying on Friday that security forces in Iran had killed at least 52 people since they have begun.

Iran's national football team have also spoken up on the matter, including 27-year-old Azmoun, who plays for Leverkusen.

Iran played two games during the international break - against Uruguay and Senegal, both in Austria and behind closed doors in attempts to dissuade protest by edict of the Iranian FA, while media access was restricted.

Before kick-off against Senegal, their final match before the World Cup, they covered their national team's kit and emblem during the national anthems. The team stood arm in arm prior to the match and only took off their black jackets to play the match in Austria, while several players also blacked out their Instagram profile pictures.

However, groups of protestors flocked to the stadium in an attempt to get their message heard on national broadcasts as the clamor for justice continues. Allegedly members of the national team squad were also living under strict orders to stay silent during the break.

However, Azmoun, who has scored 41 times in 65 caps for the national team, broke the silence in an Instagram post, speaking out against the Iranian government and providing his support for women's rights. The 27-year-old could face expulsion from the national team as a result of speaking out, meaning he would miss out on the World Cup in Qatar.

His post on Sunday read: 'At worst I'll be dismissed from the national team. No problem.

'I'd sacrifice that for one hair on the heads of Iranian women. This story will not be deleted. They can do whatever they want. 'Shame on you for killing so easily; long live Iranian women.'

The black jackets were in solidarity with protestors against Mahsa Amini's death

His post was later taken down in favor of a less strongly worded version, but the forward has since joined his teammates in blacking out his social media profile pictures as a show of solidarity.

During Friday's game, as he came on in the 61st minute, Bayern fans unveiled the supportive banners. One said: 'Women, life, freedom in Farsi, which is a common chant that has been heard during the protests.

Another protest read: 'Solidarity with the feminist revolution in Iran.'

Leverkusen boss Gerardo Seoane had previously stated on Thursday the club had been providing Azmoun with all the support he needs and praised his forward.

He told his pre-match press conference: 'This issue has made huge waves. He is a great role model in his commitment and his behavior.

'It is now also up to us to put an arm around him and help in this difficult situation.'

Azmoun is one of a number of Iranian footballers to speak out.

After Amini's death, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, captain of the national team, posted an image of a young woman with her arms raised toward a flock of doves.

Ehsan Hajsafi, who was also in the starting XI against Uruguay, published something similar. Both appear to have been forced to delete the posts, which mysteriously vanished.

Furthermore, Hossein Mahini, a former Iranian international, was allegedly detained due to his support for the protests.

Hossein Mahini arrested for sympathizing with the people.

As the social unrest and protests marches across Iran continues unabated, the authority that has an iron grip on sports, especially football, has acted with brute force against any footballer or celebrities who dare side with the people's protests or post messages in support of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year Kurdish girl who died under the custody of the Police in Tehran. In the latest such move, the former Team Melli and Persepolis player Hossein Mahini has been arrested as a result of quote " for publishing ed material supporting and encouraging riots on his online pages in the past few days" unquote. IRNA, the official Iranian news agency confirmed the arrest. While the 36 years old Mahini, a native of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf, has been arrested by the security apparatus the whereabouts of Ali Karimi whose house has been alleged to be confiscated by the authorities is still unknown. Karimi was targeted by the Mullahs for his outspoken comments and courage well before Mahsa Amini's death made the world headlines. Mahini played 26 times for Team Melli between 2011 to 2016. Confidential information from the Team Melli camp returning to Tehran today, speaks of strong warnings to every player in the squad to refrain from expressing ani anti-government views in social media posts, speaking out against the security forces, or expressing sympathy with the late Mahsa Amini. The players are categorically prevented from participating in political rallies unless it is a pro-Khamenei rally. The consequences of disobeying these orders are severe for the players and their families.  

Futsal: Classy IR Iran cruise into quarter-finals

The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022™, continued this Friday evening with Team Melli Futsal Playing Chinese Taipei in Saad Al Abdullah Hall, Kuwait.

With the biggest win of the championship so far, Iran confirmed their place in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ Kuwait 2022 knockout stage after cruising 10-1

Iran, who defeated Indonesia 5-0 in their opener, burst into action from the first blow of the whistle with Hossein Tayebibidgoli and Mohammadhossein Bazyar just missing the target from above the area.
SAEED AHMAD-ABBAS
Alireza Rafiei Pour forced Fu Li-wei into a diving save in the second minute before the Chinese Taipei keeper conceded moments later with Bazyar finding the back of the net off Moslem Oladghobad’s layoff.
Iran were just getting started with Tayebibidgoli etching his name on the scoresheet in the third minute, finishing off Oladghobad’s assist.
Chinese Taipei had a rare chance a minute later with captain Chi Sheng-fa bursting down the left flank, but his effort to get a cross into the danger area was foiled by Mahdi Karimi.
Chinese Taipei were no match for Iran’s brilliance as the Central Asian side scored their third goal after Salar Aghapour found an unmarked Saeid Ahmad Abbasi (pictured above), who finished with ease from close range.
Tayebibidgoli picked up his second goal of the evening in the 16th minute, scoring a volley off Oladghobad’s kick-in, before Ahmad Abbasi put Iran 5-0 up a minute later.
Chinese Taipei tried to mount a fightback but paid dearly as Iran caught them off a counter-attack with Ahmad Abbasi completing his hat-trick two minutes from the half-time whistle.
Iran grabbed their seventh goal two minutes into the restart with Tayebibidgoli threatening from the left flank before the two-time AFC Futsal Asian Cup Top Scorer sent an inviting lob for Aghapour to finish.
Chinese Taipei tried to push  forward again but their efforts were cut short with Alireza Javan Shahkhali collecting the loose ball before squeezing a shot past Fu Li-wei in the 28th minute.
However, Chinese Taipei’s determination was finally rewarded when they found an opening in the 31st minute with He Chia-chen scoring from inside the box, finishing off Chi Sheng-fa’s pass.
There was no letting up from Iran as they continued to pressure their opponents with Karimi finding the net in the 35th minute before Ahmad Abbasi scored his side’s 10th goal a minute later.
Iran plays Lebanon next, while Chinese Taipei faces a must-win tie against Indonesia on Sunday.