A recent interview with Mohammad Mayeli-Kohan , until recently , the Technical Director of Omid Team (Iran’s U23) created a lot of discussion and controversy in football circles.
Mayeli-Kohan is one of those divisive characters that is either loved or hated. He is known for being hostile to anything that he does not agree with. There is no restraint or moderation to what he thinks and say. The former Team Melli coach’s wild accusations and slanderous claims have put him in trouble with the law. He was eventually sentenced to prison by a court which found him defamatory in several cases and subsequently Mayeli-Kohan was incarcerated. It was only because of the plaintiff mercy and pardon that Mayeli-Kohan was released after serving a few days of his sentence. It was Ali Daei who was sued Mayeli-Kohan in that libel case. However, despite that brief imprisonment, Mayeli-Kohan is neither repentant nor plans to calm down his radical and harsh criticism of whatever he does not like.
Appointed to qualify Iran to the Olympics
Despite questionable attitude and background in addition to hostilities he managed to accumulate with many sport personalities and organizations, Ali Kaffashian is his bizarre wisdom accepted Habib Kashani and Mohammad Khakpour’s recommendation to include Mayeli-Kohan in the Omid Team squad as Technical Director.
The rest is history. Omid team did not qualify despite huge budget and long preparation, not to mention stopping the league for the team. The media had its day by much criticism mostly directed at the top of Omid team leadership and coaching. Most found Khakpour inexperience as the major reason for the team’s failure.
The interview
Mayeli-Kohan did not take those attacks on him and the rest of the team leadership lightly. In a recent interview with ISNA , Mayeli-Kohn fired back with a vengeance and did not munch his words. The Technical Director of Omid Team opened fire on all front accusing everyone and everybody but his indisputable and absolute target was none other than Carlos Queiroz and his suitors!
He accused the Portuguese head coach of Team Melli of being the main reason for Omid team’s exit by being an obstacle behind the scenes and working against them. He was overtly defensive of his own record with Omid team and apologized for the people for not succeeding to lead Iran to qualify for the Olympics games football competition, but he also accused the media of disgraceful bias in their critic of Omid team while nothing like that was directed at Queiroz after 5 years of failures, according to him, and siphoning the country’s money!
“He has not won any trophies, he has not won any titles, no gold medals not even a wooden medal, yet he is being revered by media and those who get benefits and paybacks because of him, while national coaches like me and Khakpour are being humiliated and ridiculed.” Mayeli-Kohan said in the interview.
The incensed Mayeli-Kohan remained unusually composed, but solidly defiant during the interview. When the reporter reminded him that Queiroz remains popular amongst the fans, he refuted such claim and claimed they are all being on some Queiroz backer payroll! He said these are the same fans that abused our icons such as Ali Parvin, Ali Daei, Ghalenoei and chanted profanities against them from the stands when the results were not going well. They are driven by greed and who pays more.“
Logic dictates that the words of Mayeli-Kohan, which has become a dull routine, would be brushed under the carpet and very few will take any serious notice of his harsh words. Mayeli-Kohan is a known antagonist and a radical who is still a strong supporter of former disgraced President Ahmadinejad’s camp. However, this controversial interview, if that is the right expression, has shaken a few pillars in Iran’s football hierarchy. His unadulterated attack on Carlos Queiroz seems to have taken its toll, most noticeably by Carlos Queiroz.
Carlos Queiroz predicament.
Queiroz has been incognito since the last Team Melli match in 2015. He made a singular appearance in Doha during the Olympic qualifiers, to watch the progress of Omid team according to Kaffashian, but to conduct some private matters, according to Queiroz himself (take your pick). Carlos Queiroz seems to be the more accurate as he had no contact whatsoever with Omid Team camp during the qualifiers although he is known to have attended at least one match. In essence, there is no love lost between the two camps in any case.
On his brief return to Tehran, Queiroz realized that all promises that was given to him before leaving Iran by Kaffashian for improving the conditions of Team Melli, including official kit and training grounds quality, was nothing but vaporware. The conditions have even deteriorated. Queiroz is said to be seriously thinking of quitting once for all. Whether the verbal barrage by Mayeli-Kohan has made an impact will never be known, but it is know that he is always kept up-to-date with what is written about him in Iranian press. Mayeli-Kohan, despite being a colleague and working for the FFIRI has never been complimentary to him. This is nothing new although it was never so intense, personal and obvious.
The Portuguese coach is quite fond of playing this resignations game by using veiled threats or direct statements, this time however, sources close to him and Kaffashian seem to believe that he is more serious than ever. Kaffashian, although not a highly revered professional administrator or leader, has a good skills in negotiations and bargaining so he feels confident that he will be able to keep Queiroz at least until the last two matches in the group in the World Cup qualifiers.
With Nowrooz approaching, it will be an interesting few weeks. Iran qualification to the next round of the FIFA World Cup 2018 is all but assured. With the present state of things, Queiroz is more than worried that he could lose the chance of qualifying with poor support and preparation of Team Melli. This attack on his character might create a toxic atmosphere with the fans and as such it might make his task even more difficult. As it is, the attendance for Team Melli matches in Azadi is one of the lowest in record. A few more people jumping on Mayeli-Kohan’s bandwagon will make life that much difficult for Queiroz.