FFIRI objection to the AFC futsal committee.

The FFIRI futsal committee has strongly objected to the AFC recent decisions taken on futsal.

The main grievance of the Iranians is the decision by the AFC futsal committee to hold the AFC Club Championship once every two years instead of the current annual competition. The reason behind the decision was due to the financial burden on clubs or federations and lack of interest from many AFC members’ states in carrying out this competition on annual basis. The majority of AFC member states do not have a regular or established futsal leagues.  Revenues from the Futsal leagues are meager which does not allow the competing clubs to cover the costs of playing in the championship without the financial backing of the federations.

The other point of grievance of Iran’s football federation (FFIRI) is the denial of Iran’s request to have two teams in each championship. The AFC Futsal committee has not seen any evidence to convince them to award Iran two spots in the championship while the rest of the member states have one each.

Those decisions were made after the conclusion of the 4th AFC Futsal Club Championship where the Thai club Chonburi Blue Wave defeated Iran’s representative Giti Pasand Isfahan in the final after a penalty shootout.  The Thi club had their Iranian goalkeeper to thank for this title after he saved 2 penalty kicks in the shoot-out. The competition was held in Nagoya, Japan.

Iran won 2 out the 4 championship, which far from what can be considered as dominating compared to the AFC Asian Futsal championship where Iran’s Futsal Team Melli has won 10 titles out of 12.

Seyed Reza Eftikhari , the spokesman of the FFIRI futsal committee said that his federation will be communicating with the other members seeking their support to overturn this decision.  These members are the same ones that have come up with the decisions in the first place. Eftikhari also said that the committee selected by FIFA to oversee Asian Futsal is a weak one!

The AFC Futsal committee includes the influential Abbas Torabian, a veteran futsal administrator and the head of Futsal in FFIRI. When probed by ISNA sport reporter to the reasons why FFIRI is questioning and objecting to the decisions that has been taken while Abbas Torabian the long-time FFIRI representative was a party to these decisions making process, Eftikhari  response was quite interesting  “These things happen!”

Eftikhari then went on and said “In any case, the people who are in this committee are thinking about their own personal interest, while we are doing our jobs as professionals (..). Our condition is different from Senegal, Nepal or Bangladesh. Iran is competing with Europe and Latin America. !”

Hence, Eftikhari, has proven beyond any shadow of doubt, how pathetic and disorganized the FFIRI management is where the simplest of tasks, in this case communication and coordination between managers , does not exist while claims of being part of the elite of this world, is abundant.

Confident Masoud after scoring in his debut

After  so much effort to find a suitable club , Masoud Shojae has eventually ended up in  UD Las Palmasclub.  Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the autonomous community of Canary Islands  it plays in Segunda División, the lower division of the Spanish La Liga .

Masoud made his debut and score a goal in the Cop Del Rey match. This report was filed by the local paper that interviewed Masoud after his return from the main land.

 

Eduardo Lopez

Las Palmas De Gran Canaria

09.12.2013 | 23:34

 

Debut , ninety minutes goal. The flamboyant midfielder UD Las Palmas Masoud Shojaei was “very pleased” with its premiere club ‘s shirt yellow in the Copa del Rey against Sabadell island was the first victory this season . “It’s very important for a player joining  a new team and a new group to start with a goal.” the Team Melli  midfielder said.

 

The first player in the history of Iranian football to play for UD Las Palmas hopes to ” be more offensive ” this season , participating and coming closer to the opponent’s area . ” The goals I’ve gotten over the years, in Spain , I know that most have been very nice. In the end, it is  numbers that talk and if you put more is better than a goal every year ” he acknowledged .

The Iranian international was fatigued after  the flight from Barcelona returned the team to the Island, but he was confident ” I have a better view  of the team and the teammates  in the squad”. After a week in yellow jersey , Masoud said he has found ” what he was looking for ” when he joined the UD Las Palmas . “Against Numancia not much was expected,  we did not play much one- touch, tiki -taka  football.  In the match against Sabadell we were a little better. Lobera in his talks with us the players, want us to play well , with confidence. We can improve over time with more matches played, we shall  reach our optimum  level  soon “he said .

 

Masoud Shojaei training with Las Palmas
Masoud Shojaei training with Las Palmas

 

Masoud Shojaei is clear that to show his best level he needs ” minutes and games ” with which he can catch up his form . “Last year I did not compete much and I need to gain confidence . Physically, I was a bit tired in the second half against Sabadell but I know I can give much more ,” he said .

On the game next Sunday at 17:00 in the Estadio de Gran Canaria against Real Jaen, Masoud feels that “we must win” . “I do not put pressure on the team but I think we have to overcome the win last week at Giron , it is one of the best teams in the class, but we have to get points in the first round, because in the second will be more complicated, “said the ex-Osasuna footballer. Also noted that there are teams in second ” to those who like to play well.”

Team Melli climbs up the FIFA ranking

Team Melli has climbed 4 steps and reached one of its highest position for a long time in the FIFA/CocaCola  monthly world ranking.

Accumulating 633 points , Iran ranked 48 in the World and second in Asia following Japan and leapfrogging Australia who dropped to third followed by South Korea in fourth.

The climb in the table came despite the fact that Team Melli was idol and did not play any matches since its qualification to the World Cup in the win against South Korea in Ulsan. The Gap between Iran and Japan is reducing and with 3 official matches in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers scheduled this year, Iran could very well find itself at the top of Asia Ranking.

 

 

Asia top 10 teams

Rnk Zon. Rnk Team Pts +/- Pos
42 1  Japan 671 -5 Down
48 2  Iran 633 4 Up
53 3  Australia 603 -7 Down
57 4  Uzbekistan 579 2 Up
58 5  Korea Republic 574 -2 Down
73 6  Jordan 494 -2 Down
82 7  United Arab Emirates 456 2 Up
96 8  Oman 382 -1 Down
99 9  China PR 362 -4 Down
105 10  Iraq 325 -1 Down

TM WCQ2014 vs Qatar doha
TM WCQ2014 vs Qatar doha

Iran faces Brazil in 2013 Futsal Grand Prix

Iran was drawn in with Brazil in the 2013 Futsal Grand Prix.

The Grand Prix de Futsal is an international futsal tournament similar to the FIFA Futsal World Championship but with invited nations and held annually in Brazil since 2005.

The Brazilian Futsal Confederation (CBFS) conducted the draw for The Grand Prix de Futsal in two groups. The competition will be played between 20 and 27 October in Chico Neto Arena in Maringá (PR).

The Brazilian team in Group A, will play alongside Japan, Iran and Argentina. The hermanos opponents will debut in green and yellow, reissuing confronting the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Thailand in 2012.

The other group consists of Russia, Serbia, Paraguay and Guatemala. The members of each group face off in a single round with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the semifinals.

The City of Maringa is preparing to host the competition with Secretary of Sports and Recreation of Maringa, Iraclézia Maria Araújo does not hide his pleasure at the city host the competition. For her, the Grand Prix can leave a legacy for the youth of the city and the whole state of Paraná.

“Thanks to the sporting organization which offered the city of Maringa the opportunity to host this major event, we will be partners in this great competition. Our expectation from the Grand Prix is to encourage more athletes and youth to follow the sport” she said.

Team Melli first futsal team
Team Melli first futsal team 

Iran announces 12 man Beach Soccer Squad.

Iran has announced the squad for th upcoming FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Tahiti.

 

IRAN are set to grace the world stage once again when the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Tahiti 2013 gets underway this September. Having failed to make it to the quarter-final stage at their last four appearances at the tournament, the Iranians are looking to a new clutch of stars to put the past behind them.

Top of the list is striker Moslem Mesigar, a cornerstone of the team’s plans, who will be playing in his fourth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Speaking to FIFA.com, the sharp-shooting Mesigar opened up about his dreams for Tahiti and looked back at some of the highlights of his beach soccer career.

Image change
With three competition appearances behind him, Mesigar believes the time has come to change the reputation his national side have earned in their previous four campaigns: “We’ve competed at the World Cup on four previous occasions and never made it to the quarter-finals. Our stumbling block has always been the first round. We have a lot to learn in this game but I reckon the time has arrived for us to make the experience we’ve accumulated count.”

“We are looking forward to taking part in Tahiti 2013,” he went on, “and we’re eager to set new benchmarks. Qualifying is our first target and if we manage that then there’s nothing to stop us thinking of going even further. Reaching the quarter-finals is a big deal and that is what we hope to do.”

Iran have played a total of 12 matches in their previous FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup campaigns, losing 11 of them. It was at Rio de Janeiro 2007, their second tournament appearance, that they managed their only win to date, beating Spain 5-4, before their winning ways deserted them once again.

Their most recent outing at Ravenna 2011 saw the Iranians put in their finest performance to date. Their tally of three first round defeats does not to justice to the quality of their play in a group that comprised Italy, Switzerland and Senegal. There were clear signs that the Iranian beach soccer team was finally making progress.

Mesigar certainly sees a pattern: “Looking at how far we’ve come, from our first tournament to our most recent campaign, we’ve improved our performances. We have played great games, taking on strong teams and making it hard for them. If we step up our preparations a little, I believe we can close the gap, though nothing’s certain in football.”

The hard yards
To get themselves up to the standard required for a tournament of this magnitude, Iran have been working flat out since they booked their tickets for Tahiti. Central to their plans is an intensive training program, as Mesigar explains: “When the Asian qualifiers finished at the beginning of the year, we drew up plans to develop our technical skills. Our Brazilian coach Marco Octavio has brought some new ideas with him, plus the latest tactics, and we will continue working hard to gain the attributes we need.”

Things have not been so easy in the past. “One of the reasons for our failure to win at past tournaments is changes to the coaching staff,” Mesigar said, “as well as a lack of adequate preparation for such a major event. We did not play friendly internationals against the big teams. Things have improved a lot. We are set to play suitably competitive warm-up games, which will definitely raise our standards. Our aim is to progress and in this game you need everything to be in place to ensure you give a good account of yourself.”

Hopes and dreams
Moslem Mesigar began his footballing career at Iranian club Shahin Bushehr before a chance encounter led him to take up beach soccer, playing for local side Daryanavardan. A move to Vision Tehran brought the youngster his first taste of success, with two league titles, three runners-up medals and the personal accolade of the season’s top goalscorer on two occasions.

His form soon brought him to the attention of the national team and he played in his first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2007, retaining his place for Marseille 2008 and Ravenna 2011. As Tahiti looms on the horizon, Mesigar still has fire in his belly: “Looking back on my journey with the national side gives me the hunger to put my technical and physical skills to the test at a World Cup. I want to prove my ability alongside my teammates and show the world how much we want to make it to the later stages. We want to show them that Iranian football can evolve.”

“We got off to a great start this year,” the 28-year-old continued. “We put on some fine performances at the Asian Beach Soccer Cup in Qatar and beat Japan to take the title. It was a wonderful achievement. In that final I managed to bring the scores level in the dying second then I was the last one to hit the net during the penalty shoot-out. I also made it to the list of top goalscorers with 11 strikes. That was just terrific. I felt amazing and my morale is sky-high going into the biggest tournament of all.”

The Iranians begin their Tahiti 2013 campaign in Group C alongside Brazil, Ukraine and Senegal. Mesigar has no illusions about the size of the task ahead: “It’s a strong group and a tough one for sure. Brazil are the complete team and have been crowned world champions several times. But we will try to compete hard in all three games and make it through to the quarter-finals. We will fight with all we’ve got.”

Mesigar’s record with the national team is a good one. After taking third place at three previous editions of the Asian Beach Soccer Cup, he can now place this year’s champion’s medal alongside one from a WAFF Beach Soccer Championship and an Asian Games gold on his mantelpiece. In addition, he has twice finished top goalscorer in Asian beach soccer.

But the trophies and acclaim have not dimmed his ambition: “There is still so much to achieve. My great dream is to turn pro for one of the top European clubs. I will do everything in my power to prove that I deserve that chance and that an Iranian player like me has what it takes to play abroad.”

 

 

The Squad 2013

Peyman HOSSEINI
12 Mohammad HAJIPOUR
Defenders
2 Amir AKBARI
3 Hassan ABDOLLAHI
4 Mehdi HASSANI
6 Mostafa KIANI
7 Mehran MORSHEDI
Pivot
9 Mohammad MOKHTARI
10 Moslem MESIGAR
11 Mohammad AHMADZADEH
Wing
5 Ali NADERI
8 Farid BOULOKBASHI
Coach
OCTAVIO Marco 

Carlos Queiroz Saga.

Carlos Queiroz has been in the news on daily basis recently.

You will not be far of track thinking that the Carlos Queiroz, the current Team Melli coach is a highly emotional character. Those emotions, mixed with passion for his job and low tolerance levels sometimes puts him in trouble while at times , his emotions gets the better of him to a degree he forgets the very essence of the professionalism that he keeps referring to as the basis of his job.

 

Khabar Varzeshi Intervew

In the interview with Khabar varzeshi, there was a classic example of some expressive and strong responses in which a highly emotional Queiroz threatened to resign his job because he does not like what some people accuse him of. Yet, in the same interview, Quiroz mentions that a professional coach is supposed to accept hardship and criticism!

No doubt, Queiroz, a passionate and highly dedicated person, has lots of grievances about the currents fiasco of Iranian football. Many fans & the Media personnel inside and outside of Iran , sympathize with his plight, us included. However, expecting full adherence to his plans and compliance to his demands, asking for unequivocal support from everyone while curtailing media criticism is something that is impossible to achieve in any environment, professional or otherwise.

Queiroz has worked in England, where the media reserves the sharpest criticism for coaches and the fans are one of the most demanding and least tolerant in Europe. The Iranians are not far off any other sets of fans either. Granted, that there are lots of adversity, plenty of ridicule acts, acute shortage of skilled football management and some chaotic organization in Iran. There is also poor discipline, several cultural and religious issues that could be detrimental to the natural progress of football. However, many foreign coaches have operated in this same environment and succeeded. To name a few, there is one Julio Velasco who has taken Iran to new heights in the sport of volleyball and won the nation’s first Asian championship title. Only a few weeks ago ,  Mehmed Becirovic  managed to lead Iran to win Asian basketball  Championship title with an immaculate performance. Those two sports get a fraction of the financial support spent on football and much less attention from the fans and the media. The point is, despite the hardship, this is a championship breeding nation with its own twists and turns.

[heading style=”1″]Queiroz and Taj [/heading]

We have not heard what Queiroz was insinuating about Taj and Rahimi , but we also wouldn’t know what have gone in private between all the parties. Publicly, however, the club chairmen and coaches are trying to preserve and protect their clubs interest as vehemently as Queiroz does for his own team.

Why shouldn’t the club try to keep their players as much as they can? After all, it is these clubs that pays them their wages, not Team Melli or the Football Federation. It is the clubs who have the burden of medical care if they get injured during a Team Melli game. It is the clubs who lose the most when a player is injured. So again, like everywhere else in the world, club must have a say in the grand schemes of the national team. Of course, in Europe it is hardly organized and systematic, with plans for matches, competitions and training camps , planned well ahead of time and strictly adhered to, while in Iran such planning is a wishful thinking.

In any case, a solution must be reached between the national team and the league commission. Both parties must accept that their ideas and plans might not please the other, but there must be a compromise.  Failure to do so is detrimental to Team Melli and Iran’s football. Regardless to the outcome, club coaches’ demands cannot be totally ignored because Team Melli made it to the World Cup.

The other point about Queiroz that we take issue with is his claims of personal battles. The question that needs to be asked is, why does Queiroz finds it necessary to respond to every Tom, Dick and Harry? As a professional football coach, he will do things his own way and does not need to explain every little thing for the rest of the world. The environment in Iran is not much different than the rest of the world. There will always be the media and the critics among the fans and the coaches; this comes as part and parcel of the job. Building a shield around a coach to protect him from critics and those who do not admire his job, is something that is unreasonable and unrealistic.

 

An interesting turn of events when Queiroz was coaching South Africa in 2002. Will that story repeat in Iran ?

[box title=”Queiroz quits” color=”#333333″]

 2002-03-12 12:19

Johannesburg – South African soccer coach Carlos Queiroz has resigned, the SA Football Association announced at a press conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

Queiroz was meetings with South African Football Association (Safa) officials on Tuesday to discuss his future after he threatened to quit in a meeting on Monday.

Queiroz had threatened to quit on Monday in another meeting, officials added, but the matter was being negotiated with Safa president Molefi Oliphant.

The Portuguese coach is unhappy over his new working relationship with the team’s technical director Jomo Sono, who was appointed to work with Queiroz after the disappointing performance by South Africa at the African Nations Cup finals in Mali earlier this year.

South Africa were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the host country, promoting widespread

speculation over the future of Queiroz on the eve of the World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan.

It was several weeks before Safa confirmed Queiroz would continue in his post at the World Cup, where South Africa will play in group B against Paraguay, Slovenia and Spain.

But Safa also appointed Sono, who owns a club in the South African premier league and was a former coach of the national team, to work with Queiroz.

Safa did not clarify that exact roles of the two men and officials confirmed that the two have argued in recent weeks over team selection and the appointment of coaching staff for the World Cup.

Queiroz was also upset over Sono’s failure to turn up for a scheduled meeting last week, South African newspapers reported on Tuesday.

Queiroz, who has been in charge of South Africa since September 2000, has already told reporters he would be leaving the post after his contract expires at the end of the World Cup finals in June.

Reuters

[/box]

Critics bemoan the lethargic derby between Esteghlal & Perspolis

Tehran

The Friday’s Tehran derby which ended in a goalless draw, a repeat result of the last 3 meetings between the two most popular teams in Iran, has enraged many football experts and fans. The millionaires of Tehran played a cautious match, tactically poor and devoid of any exciting football. The players performed poorly in the highly sensitive match which is regularly hyped by the media and all concerned to the regular disappointment of the fans who await an exciting or beautiful football.

There is no country in the world that can claim 100,000 attendances for a league match. Azadi and Tehran derby between Perspolis and Esteghlal is an exception. Not even the el classico or any of the famous English league derby matches can attract this type of figures.  On the evidence of TV footage and many other observers, the attendance at Azadi stadium exceeded the officially announced 100,000, all treated to a mediocre and boring football.

The post-match reaction and denunciations by many experts and ex-players was far more exciting than the match itself. Farshad PEYOUS , ex-Team Melli and Perspolis striker with an immaculate scoring record in the eighties, commenting in the match said “We never claimed that we played a modern high class football in our days, but at least we gave the fans something to cheer about . This match we saw on Friday , was even worse than “Ali Asghari” football that some used to refer to our football. “ The term “Ali Asghari” is used in Iran for tactically poor , street style with route one method of playing.

“There was no proper passing game; players simply pushed the football away as of to get rid of responsibility. In the whole game, the fans saw only 2 or 3 serious attacking scene. These players’ motive was to avoid defeat at any cost. It is a real shame that most of the two team’s players are members of our Team Melli.”

The fear and concern over Team Melli form has prompted Amir Haj Rezaei , a football analyst and one of the highly qualified trainers in Iran to express his anger and dismay at the lethargic football  experienced in Friday’s derby. ” It is a great insult for the 100,00 fans in the stadium and the million watching the match on Live TV to be exposed to this farce.”  Haj Rezaei said in a live TV show.

“Time and again these loyal fans flock to the stadiums defying hardships to be met by a group of millionaires that have little interest to entertain their loyal fans but much interest in achieving their own personal goals. To think that Team Melli consists of the players of these two teams is even more depressing and adds of our misery and outlook for the World Cup participation.”

While many Esteghlal and Perspolis players admitted that they have played a poor game each coming up with his own justification and some even blaming the media for their poor showing , the most interesting quote must go to Mohsen BENGAR, Perspolis and Ex-Team Melli defender. “ If I was a fan watching this match on TV , I would have switched the channel or turn it off.”…Indeed.

Venue change for AFC U16 qualifiers.

Pakistan Football association has announced a change of venue for the upcoming AFC Asian U16 qualifiers.

The qualifying group that Iran is competing in ,  with host Pakistan, Sri lanka and the UAE will be played from from 25th to 29th of September. The round-ribbon competition  , was originally scheduled to be played in Karachi. The city has a notorious reputation for violence and bombing. Even children and football fans are not immune against the terrorist attacks as was evident in the last month bomb attack in a football stadium. The football match  with many children and young spectator attending was targeted by the Islamist terrorists resulting in many casualties. The Shia and Hazara minorities are regularly targeted by the extremist salafi and Taliban criminals in Pakistan and Karachi in particular.

Playing under such circumstances was an extreme risk which was initially ignored or undermined by the organizers and the AFC.

The announcement today of the venue change to Lahore in the northern part of Pakistan is a major relief for the participants.

 

Related Article:

Iranian boys to compete in the city of bombing

Doustimehr: We are the underdogs

(FIFA.com) Friday 6 September 2013
Doustimehr: We are the underdogs
© Action Images

Currently preparing his squad for the FIFA U-17 World Cup United Arab Emirates 2013, which begins on 19 October, Iran coach Ali Doustimehr is hoping he can improve on the country’s promising world-finals showing of four years ago.

The Iranians kicked off their campaign at Nigeria 2009 in fine style with a 2-0 win over Gambia, following up with a goalless draw against Colombia and a 1-0 defeat of the Netherlands to seal first place in their group.

Though Uruguay promptly halted their progress by downing them 2-1 in the Round of 16, Iran had nevertheless achieved their best ever performance in an 11-a-side world finals competition, with only the country’s futsal team having gone further on the global stage.

As he told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview, their 49-year-old coach is hoping they can go even further this time around, setting his team the target of a place in the last four.

“The boys and the coaching staff are very motivated,” he said, describing the sense of belief in the Iran camp. “I’ve got the same assistants I had in Nigeria and everyone wants to do their bit to help us reach the semi-finals. The players know that a good display at the U-17 World Cup could improve their chances of breaking into the full national side. That’s what they all dream about.”

“We will be taking the best possible team to the Emirates but it won’t be easy,” he added. “We’re the underdogs and we need to be strong mentally. Our preparations have gone well and we’ve played friendlies against Finland, Turkey, Italy, Slovenia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.”

Reflecting on the progress Asian sides have been making in youth tournaments of late, Doustimehr cited Iraq’s run to the semi-finals of the recent FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 as a source of inspiration:

“Asia will be represented in the UAE by the host nation, Iran, Japan, Uzbekistan and Iraq. Every team on the continent is paying a lot of attention to training and we need to keep pace. Iraq’s efforts at the U-20 World Cup showed how far Asian sides have come in these age groups.”

Learning lessons
Iran’s first opponents in Group E are Argentina, followed by Canada and Austria, a schedule that prompted the seasoned coach to comment: “The teams are all there on merit and there won’t be any pushovers.”

Doustimehr has no shortage of experience at youth level, having taken charge of the U-17 national side in Nigeria four years ago and the Iran team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2001.

Assessing the importance of competing at the highest level, he said: “The World Cup is like no other competition. It gives you the chance to make history and change your destiny.

“You’re always learning in football,” he continued. “We missed out on the chance to reach the last eight in 2009, though we’ve learned the lessons of that setback. The experience you pick up in a World Cup is worth that of many other competitions combined.”

That experience will be needed when Doustimehr and his charges set about bettering Iran’s landmark run in 2009, as he acknowledged: “Like I said before, we are determined to make it to the last four. I’m going to draw on everything I learned in 2001 and 2009 to take the team forward.”

Team Melli sponsorship deal to be announced next week.

Tehran.

Ali Kaffashian, the president of FFIRI announced that a deal has been agreed with a local firm to sponsor Team Melli for the upcoming World Cup. The procrastination of this federation on properly negotiating marketing deals has resulted in acute financial difficulties for the team the result of which is the complete stoppage of activities. While the rest of the world teams are engaged in friendly matches or training camps, there is no participation of Team Melli in any meaningful activities or training exercises in form of camps or matches.

Kaffashian said that “After a long negotiation  (…) we have finalized a deal to sponsor Team Melli for the World Cup. The sponsor is a local company and the name will be announced next week. “. Such delay in identifying the sponsor probably means that the deal is not finalized perhaps awaiting approvals and the passing of the Bureaucratic Process on both sides.

The timing of the deal is crucial after the mass critical reaction of all concerned in the aftermath of cancellation of Team Melli training camp in Portugal.

In the meantime, the under-secretary of the Ministry of sport, Salehi Amiri met with Ali Kaffashian and Carlos Queiroz in the Ministry’s offices. The minister of Youth & Sports is yet to be appointed after the parliament rejected President Rouhani’s candidate. In the meeting, the under-secretary conveyed a message for the Iran’s President advocating full government support for the National team.

After the meeting on Thursday, Queroz informed the media that they had a fruitful meeting “Kaffashian was quite transparent and informed the ministry of all the problems that the team is facing. I am hoping that we can continue our program. I am referring to the under-secretary’s word as I left the ministry quite hopeful”

 There was no word of full support, financial commitment assistance or anything tangible in the negotiation from either side after the meeting. Promises to assist & support, are customary occurrences when it comes to Team Melli, as previously experienced by the ex-President AhmadiNejad and several of his minister on many occasions. However, in reality, not much has materialized. It is remained to be seen if these talks turn into proper support morally and financially for Team Melli.