Team Melli will most probably schedule 2 friendly games in April 2019. The opponents or location of the national team training camp has not been determined yet but strong preference is given to the China’s International 4 side round ribbon invitational tournament.

The football federation is hard pressed for time in choosing a new head coach, so it’s more than likely that an interim coach will sit on the bench until negotiations and appointment of a permanent new coach is finalized and concluded.

Javad Nekounam is one of the candidates as Iran’s interim coach, because he is available and due to his familiarity with the Team Melli players. Nekounam is however a risky choice if the permanent coach negotiation is extended and prolonged. He has showed a lack of discipline in his short career in coaching. When appointed as assistant to Carlos Queiroz, in his first match against Qatar, he nearly started a riot by his childish and provocative celebration in front of the Qatar bench when Iran scored late in the game. A conduct that earned him a suspension by FIFA and consequent to that, his time with Queiroz did not last long.

There are two other names that are being talked about as well as Nekounam. Ali Daei and Branko Ivankovic. Both of these coaches have club jobs to attend to and both are bound by contracts to their clubs. Unlike Javad Nekounam who is out of work and is believed to be the cheapest option, Daei and Ivankovic are a different challenge all together for the federation

Saipa and Persepolis coaches, will not be cheap in terms of contract. Both have aspirations for full time jobs rather than being a fill gap for someone else. In their own rights, they have the credentials and the competency while both have carried out the job of Team Melli head coach previously unlike Nekounam who has a short coaching career which is barely satisfactory.

And there is always the release by the clubs if they agree and what compensations will they be awarded.

Ali Daei, a patriot that he always is, might agree reluctantly to lead Team Melli on temporary 1 or 2 match basis until the FFIRI final decision on a permanent appointment. Some insiders, however, doubt that Daei will agree while Kaffashian-Taj axis is at the helm of FFIRI. Daei is still very bitter about the way he was treated after the loss to Saudi Arabia in 2009 and blames Kaffashian, the President of FFIRI at the time and his buddy Mehdi Taj for his unfair dismissal. Since both are retirees who draw benefits from government pension, as the law stands, they are not allowed to take a job and a pension at the same time. Kaffashian is said to have left FFIRI but Taj is still procrastinating. The chances of Daei agreeing on the fill gap post are much higher when those two bosses leave their posts in FFIRI.

Ivankovic is a more difficult case. He is not obliged by any means to help the federation. His resume speaks for itself and if the FFIRI is looking for a competent replacement for Queiroz, they are obliged to consider the Croat who has coached Team Melli on two separate occasions taking Iran to the 2006 World cup. A temporary assignment will not interest Ivankovic who is busy with Persepolis and intends to perform one step better in the AFC Champions League this time.

After Queiroz’s departure, most critics have agreed that the next coach should be as good or better than the Portuguese coach to take Iran forward to the next biggest challenge and the is the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Appointment of Daei or Ivankovic as Team Melli coach has its merits and advantages. However, the legacy that Queiroz has left needs strong character to improve upon his work. Daei is a typical Iranian coach who usually blames failures on other factors, at least publically. Iran needs a realistic modern thinking coach who can adapt to circumstances, which sometimes are poor.  A coach who is tactically agile and always has options up his sleeve. Blaming the earth and sky will not achieve much for Iran’s football. Facilities, administration and management have always been poor to sub-standard. Coaches and players need to live with it. The legend Daei needs an attitude adjustment to make it at international level. He has yet to show that change in that respect.

Ivankovic has his own shortfalls. He can be too nice of a man against footballers who can be very difficult to handle. Queiroz had no times for those players and simply got rid of them in Team Melli despite the public outcry and federation intervention. It is doubtful if Branko can repeat the same