After the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 for Iran and the elimination of Team Melli from the first stage with a very respectable 4 points in the group in which Portugal, Morocco and Spain were present, the result had a very positive reflection in the community and people of the country culminating into hours of joy and Celebration in the streets of Iranian cities.
Carlos Queiroz, who has now become a cult figure among the Iranian masses and a hero, did not waste much time in practicing his habitual rhetoric, attacking his critics as soon as the World Cup adventure was over in yet another controversial interview. His main target of attack was Persepolis’s Branco Ivankovic. When Queiroz was interviewed in a TV show “ 2018 program” he lashed at Ivankovic and cornered him in various areas.
The Team Melli head coach, referred to Ivankovic as a professor who injected venom into the national team and caused a conflict within the squad. Branco Ivankovic was also accused of “destroying” the Emirates Training camp by Queiroz while challenging the Ukrainian players’ presence in Persepolis without given playing time for the team!!. The Pek foundation, which Queiroz refers to as his legacy in Iran, is another subject in which he has come into clash with Branco Ivankovic. Queiroz claims that that Ivankovic, along with his friends (Hooman Afazeli), has sought to control and take over the National Development & Training Center.
The head of the Persepolis Club, Hamid Reza Garshasbey, was the first to respond to the interview, and urged the FFIRI not to allow the work of the clubs and the Branco Ivankovic to be undermined by irresponsible and unfounded claims. Queiroz defied Ivankovic in the new interview , and said: “People have to decide; either you or me!”
Ivankovic categorically denied any interference in federation’s decisions and rejected accusations of disrupting the national team’s squad in a conversation last night well before the Queiroz interview, he also sought the support of Amir Ghalenoei and Kranjcar Sepahan and Omid team coaches to side with him against the accusations of the Portuguese. However, Queiroz made no mention of Ghalenoei or Krancjar in his interview.
Now the federation faces a major challenge. Perhaps if the most important concern before for the FFIRI was the financial demands of the Portuguese head coach and the duration of the contract (4 years demanded by Queiroz instead of 6 months proposed by the FFIRI) , now the national team manager wants to dismiss his critics from the Persian Gulf Pro League, or at least ignore their wishes, and move towards full and unchallenged implementation of his wishes on the league program.
According to the Mehr News Agency, in the upcoming season, due to the Jakarta Asian Games, the AFC Champions League and the Asian Cup, the Persian Gulf Pro League will have a tight schedule, and naturally, the national team’s interests will be in conflict with the clubs. Armed with the knowledge of this matter, Queiroz has already conditionally related the extension of his contract to preparation schedules, so that the preparations for his team on the World Cup will not be repeated; the days when the national team even trained with three players; One of its main camps was dissolved in the UAE.
Queiroz demands are clear. He needs to ensure Team Mell]s preparation for the Asian Cup and other championship to run perfectly and purely according to his wishes without any challenge, and devoid of any tension with the clubs and their supporters. It seems that the way to approach these demands is to remove or silence his critics who, of course, have many weak points while Queiroz counts on their weaknesses to advance his strategies and plans.