Carlos Queiroz spoke to Iranian media about his bitter sweet memories of Team Melli games, hard work in the national teams and tentative plans.
The Portuguese head coach , did not hide his disappointment by of contract extension for 6 months fate the world cup as he expected another 4 years extension.
Queiroz also claimed that he knows that the FFIRI has already nominated her successor while mentioning that his biggest legacy in Iran is changing the mentality of players who think that Team Melli is their Grandfather’s right.
in a meeting with the Iranian press, Queiroz named his best victories “Victory is the best medicine in football, and each has its own value, but the victory against Qatar before qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2014 World Cup in Brazil and our success in South Korea in Ulsan were our best victories, because those games were turning points for us. Not just because of the results & qualification but because there were so many proceedings and hardships behind those games. All the wins in football are good, but some are special.”
“Surely, my colleagues and players also remember the 11 failures (losses) that we have suffered, because I’m not a good loser and remember all those games.
The loss to Lebanon away and the one to Uzbekistan in Azadi, were the worst failure for us. Losing to Iraq in the last Asian Cup is still stuck in my throat.”
“We played badly and we did not deserve to win.”
About the matches against Argentina and Spain, Queiroz said. “We lost, but down deep inside we were satisfied of the performance. Football results can go down to minor details. There is no place for mistakes here. There is nothing wrong with how we conducted ourselves against these giants, but I think games such as Argentina and Spain and that against Portugal, where I believe the referee was far from fair, has left bitter memories for many. Those losses are stuck in my throat too. We will have tough games in the AFC Asian Cup. The Iraqi team has good players. I hope that our game against Iraq, is not influenced by the referee. “
“I thought after the World Cup, there will be supportive of my work, and there will be an extension of contract for another four-years term, but I saw that the offer was extended only to the Asian Cup,” Queiroz said.
“I will continue my program with the federation, but there are those who do not wish me to continue working with the federation because they have plans to replace me with other coaches. My wish is for the success of the Iranian national team in all competitions. Right now, my objective and wish is to lead Team Melli to the final match of the Asian Cup.”
He went on to say, “The next coach of Team Melli has been identified; the same guy who last week said that I was fired and then he denied saying it! Now, it’s time to celebrate. We have a training camp ahead in Doha, and we will play three matches with Qatar, Lebanon, and Qatar again. Many teams do not agree to play with us, and teams that accept our offer demand large sums for their presence in Iran.”
In response to the question of what is his most important legacy in the past eight years in Iranian football , Quiroz resonded “For me, the hardest thing I had to do was change the mentality of the national team players. When I came here, some players thought they had a Grand father’s right to be always selected for Team Melli ! When I arrived in Iran, the biggest challenge I was facing was the fact that , when the list of the national team was announced, some of the coaches close to me or the media or members of the FFIRI board said ‘ oh… we have only five players from Esteghlal and Persepolis. We will be in trouble!! ‘ This was my biggest problem. I think the biggest legacy is that the Team Melli is not owned by anyone and at the same time belongs to everyone. The national team belongs to those who hold values and those who deserve to be in the team.”
He continued: I disagree with the idea that the league champions should have the highest number of invited players in Team Melli. This thinking is not in my system. People who adhere to these practices resort to side trading and compromises. They do not have enough courage to invite the best players based on merits instead; they want to be on the safe side. Off course, we can be wrong, and may commit mistakes in the future too. In 2011, when I came to Iran, we were having difficulty inviting 23 players because we did not have a good number of players. The biggest legacy is that the next coach’s work for the next 10 years is stress-free and easy.
“Right now, we have at least 36 players, all of whom are justified to be picked on merit and deserve to be in Team Melli,” Queiroz said.” Mr. Osiano has lost all his hair due to the selection process of players and my hair is falling too. From now until December 24th, our biggest challenge is to make the fairest decisions for the selection of players and the final roster for the Asian Cup.
Referring to the presence of Majid Hosseini in the squad, he said: “He played without a national match at the World Cup, and today he is our best defender and plays in Europe. Does anyone oppose these decisions? These decisions did not happen by miracles , we worked on it. Every day, the team work from 7 am to 11 pm. Sometimes watching a game four times. When choosing between two players, we must choose fairly because I want to sleep comfortably at night. It’s very clear that we have a difficult task. When I have 35 players and can only choose 23 players, it’s really hard for me, but it’s my job and I always make fair decisions, and from now on, I’ll do“