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.”