Mehdi Taj and Carlos Queiroz met with a delegation from Oman’s Al Ouroba club to discuss the possibilities of setting up of a training camp for Team Melli in Muscat.
The Omani delegation is apparently in Tehran to extend an invitation to FFIRI and Team Melli for the use of Al Ouroba training facilities in lieu of the worsening conditions of Team Melli one and only training camp in Tehran. The surprise Iranians side delegation had the one and only Mohammad Rouyanian whose capacity in the FFIRI is unknown to anyone but Mehdi Taj!
As ususal with Iranian football , nothing seems like it is , and nothing should be taken for granted too. Carlos Queiroz who seemed to have said his farewell to the fans and some players some time ago now. He has tendered his resignation (and not for the first time) , however he seems to be continuing with his job leading Iran to the FIFA World Cup 2018 .
It s believed that Mehdi Taj has promised Queiroz that he will deliver and quickly improve all the conditions for him to continue working comfortably and effectively leading Team Melli. It remains to be seen if these promises will materialize. Queiroz is perhaps testing the water with the new President , Mehdi Taj and giving him a decent sporting chance to deliver on his promises
The Idea of setting camp in Muscat sounds fine , except for the weather. Like most Persian Gulf countries , Oman suffers from a hot and humid climate in summer months (May to September) which is far from ideal for a football training camp. Most of the teams in this part of the world head towards north and the much cooler climates of Europe or Turkey for a comfortable training camp.
Mohammad Rouyanian appearance in FFIRI is an enigma and a risk that Taj is taking. By including the former Persepolis chairman in FFIRI , Taj is alienating the government. Rouyanian was a close ally of ex-president Ahmadinejad. He was ousted from Persepolis and spent a few weeks in jail for unknown reasons after the departure of Ahmadinejad. He is not really appreciated by the current Ministry of Youth and Sports officials, which includes the Minister himself. Rouyanian appearance with Taj will not go down very well especially since the recently elected FFIRI president has announced his intention to have a cordial and good working relation with the Ministry of youth and sport……Not by harbouring an enemy, you won’t Mr. Taj.