Tag: Alireza Jahanbakhsh

Is Jahanbakhsh the next one that generates AZ millions?

With a hat-trick in his most recent game against Vitesse, Alireza Jahanbakhsh (24) not only took a giant step to the top scorer title. The Iranian is increasingly launching itself as one of the hottest transfer objects of the premier league this summer.

By Nik Kok

That is also the view of technical director Max Huiberts of AZ. In Alkmaar, the telephone does not ring for his star, but the list of foreign scouts that attends matches of the proud cup finalist rises almost every home gamel. “I would prefer Alireza to stay with us for a very long time,” says Huiberts, as does trainer John van den Brom, who voiced that desire shortly after the game against Vitesse. “I hope we can still enjoy him for a long time to enjoy.”

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If I were an interested club, I would also do business before the World Cup

Max Huiberts

But at AZ they also know well that scoring wingers like Jahanbakhsh are extremely popular. “A good winger in the league scores, in my opinion , between eight to twelve goals in a season and delivers about as many assists. Alireza is already at eighteen goals. That is really unprecedented. More than Lozano, for example, but also more than the wingers of Ajax. ”

Anyone who wants to do business at AZ next summer does not have to argue in Alkmaar that an AZ player should cost less than that of a traditional top club. If you argue that way I would say that it should be more, because here at AZ he is already able to score more than the players of those clubs. “

Who knows, there is a transfer à la Vincent Janssen ahead of Jahanbakhsh. He transfered from AZ to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2016 for more than twenty million euros. Janssen failed in London but Huiberts suspects that a transfer from Jahanbakhsh will not play any part. “Even if you had to ask those foreign clubs. Of course, I do not know exactly how they think. And I honestly do not worry too much about that. Alireza has a contract with us until the summer of 2020. “

Next summer

What may also play a part later are the performances of Jahanbakhsh at the World Cup next summer. He plays with his country Iran against, among others, Iniesta and Ronaldo. Iran is a with Spain and Portugal (and Morocco) and knows that he will be watched by the whole world in the coming summer. ” If I was an interested club, I would also do business before the World Cup “, says Huiberts with a smile.

The category of clubs that will be attractive for Jahanbakhsh will not be scared for its non-EU salary. In recent months he hinted to prefer the Bundesliga, where many of his countrymen caused a furore. It was because of Ali Daei and Vahid Hashemian that the little Jahanbakhsh once started playing football. The club that later will give him a footballer in return will be loved in the players group and adapts quickly. “Alireza comes from a completely different culture, but he has proven that he can keep his position in Europe”, says Huiberts, “But do not be fooled, he is no longer that likeable boy in the field. Her is there to win.”

Narrow win for Team Melli against Venezuela

Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s 57th minute strike gave  Iran a 1-0 win over Venezuela in an international friendly at the Goffertstadion in Nijmegen, Netherlands on Monday.

 The win stretched Iran’s unbeaten run to 10 matches as Team Melli continue their Road to Russia preparations.

Iran, the first Asian team to confirm their berth for the FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia, beat Panama 2-1 in a friendly on Thursday and are enjoying a rich vein of form.

The win is a boost for Carlos Queiroz’s team as they prepare for next summer’s FIFA World Cup. 

In action later on Monday will be Saudi Arabia, whose latest Road to Russia friendly will be against Bulgaria.

Team Melli Line up: Alireza Biranvand (Mohammadshshid Mazaheri 46), Ramin Rezaiyan, Seyyed Jalal Hosseini (Omid Ebrahimi 61), Morteza Pourali Ganji, Saeed Ezzatollahi (Akbar Imani 46), Ali Karimi, Ashkan Dejagah (Saman Ghodous 46), Vahid Amiri, Ehsan Haj Safi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Kaveh Rezaei 61), Reza Ghokhannejad (Commander 61).

Venezuela team : Fariniz (Contreras 46), Hernandez, Avicadas, Chanslor, Annel, Figueira, Aranda, Aniur, Murillo, Rondon, Machies (Lucena 75).

First half report

Minute 2: Alireza Jahanbakhsh kicked off the right-wing at the very first minute, and with a good shot, Reza GhoochanNejad set a good goal, but Gucci kicked the ball high with a fierce shot.

In the 7th minute, Sa’id Ezatollahi’s shot from behind the penalty area was easily caught byFariniz.

In the 14th minute, the tactical work of Iran’s players on the right hand side of Venezuela took a great shape to reach HajSafi in front of the penalty area. HajSafi strong shot midway through the Venezuelan player’s way and did not reach the gate.

In the 18th minute, once again the tactical work of the Iranian players was answered, but again, Iran’s players were not very accurate in the final touch and the Venezuelan goal remained clean.

In the 25th minute, Ehsan Haj Safi’s well-rounded pass to Vahid Amiri resulted in the player taking the shot and the player snapped out a little away from the Venezuelan goal.

 31st minute, WBA player Rhondon Shoot traversed a distance of about 30 meters from the Iranian goal

In the 36th minute, a free kick to Venezuela and a cross from , saw Biranvand come out erroneously in no-man zone. The Venezuela player shot at the empty net ,  Seyyed Jalal Hosseini cleared the ball from the line

Second half report

In the 50th minute, on a team-run Venezuelan team, the team got a shotgun that embraced the striker Muhammad Mazhahi Mazaheri.

In the 55th minute, Saman Chandos’s center met by Pouraliganji who headed powerfully towards the goal, but the new goalkeeper sent the ball to the corner.

Goal: In the 57th minute, a sharp counter-attack of Iran’s players resulted in a Venezuela goalkeeper coming out of his box, and Amiri sent a deep pass through to Jahanbakhsh who was facing an empty goal and scored the first goal for Iran. Jahanbakhsh scored in a city whose first club in the Netherlands belongs to this city (Nijmegen).

In the 60th minute, the Venezuelan player’s cross and the acrobatic blow of the player crossed wide off target .

In the 63rd minute, Hajj Safi’s pass into the penalty area of Venezuela, where a rogue shot and one shot hit him on the net.

In the 66th minute, Wahid Amiri initially scored the test inside Venezuela’s penalty area, and after passing few players, he transferred the ball to Kaveh Reza’i who did not hit the goal with a deflected attack on the team.

In the 70th minute, after a dribbling PouraliGanji, Sotluled sent his own line to the Iranian goal where Rondon was unlucky to miss the target.

In the 72nd minute, the Venezuelan midfielder Rondon struck against Iran’s goalkeeper but struck him off Hajj Safi. The attack continued and Iran’s players made several mistakes at Rashid Mazaheri’s goal.

In the 76th minute, with the Venezuelan goalkeeper mistake, the ball reached Rezaei, when his center landed on PouraliGanji, but the opponent’s timely tackle prevented him from scoring the second goal for Iran.

At precisely the 77th, Venezuelan players lost ground on a quick counter-attack near the boxy, who lost their position on the carelessness of the players.

In the 88th minute, Sotoledo Shot with a very good reaction from Rashid Mazaheri who kept the Iranian goal clean.

The game ended with a one-nil  lead away for the Iranian national team. This was the second narrow win for Team Melli after the 2-1 win against Panama.

 

Second consecutive FIFA World Cup for Team Melli

  • Iran reach second consecutive FIFA World Cup™
  • Team Melli defeat Uzbekistan to join Brazil and Russia at the finals
  • Carlos Queiroz’s side have yet to concede in Group B, after eight games

The scenes in Tehran were jubilant. Coaching staff and players streamed onto the pitch and celebrated in unison. Giant flags were waved, prayers were undertaken and bear hugs handed out by team-mates. Iran had done it: they had reached the promised land of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. Team Melli’s 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan was enough for Carlos Queiroz’s side to secure their seat on the plane to Russia next year.

“I want to thank all the fans for their support during the qualification campaign,” talismanic midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh said, speaking to the AFC after the game. “The results we have achieved are for you and I hope we can now win the last two games. We all have happiness in our hearts.”

The second goal in the match that sealed qualification was scored by Mehdi Taremi, who bagged his eighth World Cup qualifying strike on the road to Russia.  

“I am very happy that we have qualified for the World Cup for the second time in a row and that we have brought happiness to the Iranian people,” Mehdi Taremi, said speaking to the AFC after the victory. “I feel so happy that I was able to score a goal and that my goal was able to help us win the match. We are very happy and it shows the great progress we are making in Asia. I hope we continue to perform like this in the future and qualify for the World Cup every four years.”

Despite some question marks over whether the Portuguese would remain in the role after Brazil 2014, Carlos Queiroz has masterminded a majestic march back to the global finals, with the side going almost 1000 minutes without conceding – their defence unbreached in the third round so far.

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“Carlos Queiroz and his colleagues have done so much for Team Melli,” Iran’s striking legend Ali Daei said. “One of the most important things he’s done is bringing in so many young players and changed the major players of the team. We are now one of the best sides in Asia, along with Australia, because we haven’t lost against any Asian teams in recent years.”

Fans will be hoping that it is fifth time lucky for the Iranians, who will be looking to progress beyond the first round at the World Cup for the first time in Russia.

Team Melli on track for the Uzbekistan match

Team Melli is on course in preparation for the crucial match against Uzbekistan on Monday.

FIFA announced the name of the referees for the match. Ahmad Abu Baker Said Al Kaf from Oman will be assisted by Hamed Suleiman and Abu Baker Saleem. The fourth referee is Omar Mubarak all from the Sultanate of Oman.

The Omani referee was the fourth official in 4 matches in the recent FIFA World Cup U-20 championship 2017 in South Korea. He was not assigned any matches to referee. His last international match was in Sydney on 27th March 2017 refereeing the match between Australia and UAE which the host won 2-0.

Meanwhile, the FFIRI has encouraged the fans not to go to Azadi Stadium in matchday unless they carry a ticket on hand. The ticket sales for the match against Uzbekistan is all on-line through a dedicated website. No tickets will be sold on the match day from kiosks.

FIFA was given assurance by the FFIRI and the security authorities that strict measures and tight security will be implemented on match day following the terrorist attacks Parliament and the Ayatollah Khomeini mausoleum a few days back.

Carlos Queiroz is relying on his team’s solid defence with a perfect defensive record of not conceding a goal since the opening match, while he will be deploying  a powerful offensive line up front to unsettle the Uzbek defenses. Azmoun has been in top form , while both Ansarifard and Ghoochannejad had their best ever forms playing in Europe. domestically , Mehdi Taremi has been the best Iranian forward and the league’s top scorer.

To supplement the forwards, Jahanbakhsh and Vahid Amiri will be feeding the attackers with their runs and crosses on the flanks , leaving Dejagah and Ezzatollahie to cover the middle of the field.

There are no injuries worries to report in the squad , however , Ashkan Dejagah is short of match practise and made a short appearance for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga following a long injury. Ramin Rezaeian is without a club after he was sacked from Persepolis , nevertheless the defender form was quite good against Montenegro in the recent 2-1 win.

 

Iran 1-0 China : Another firm step towards the World Cup 2018

Team Melli defeated China 1-0 in the seventh round of the FIFA World Cup 2018 Asian zone qualifiers to cement its lead on group A. Iran now leads the group with 17 points , four ahead of closest rival Korea Republic with 3 rounds to go.

The match was played in front of capacity crowd estimated to be over 110,000 fans played early in the afternoon, The doors of the stadium had to be closed early as the fans were still flocking in with the stadium already full.

China which defeated Korea in the last round , was hoping to repeat the same against Iran to have any chance of reaching the World Cup for only its second time in history. A large number of Chinese fans all wearing red , were in Azadi;s special guests section cheering their team. Marcello Lippi has successfully led the Chinese in the last two matches.

Taremi celebrates

The first half :

Queiroz made 3 changes in the line up from the Qatar match including Ghoochannejad replacing Azmoun in forward line, while Shojae replaced Hajsafy. TM did not waste much time going forward as Ghoochannejad shot powerfully in the 6th minute for the Chinese keeper Zeng Cheng to parry over the bar for corner.

Following a series of slick passing moves in the 20th minute, Jahanbakhsh fired a shot that just shaved the bar

Next serious threat on Chinese goal was on minute 35 where Taremi’s shot was saved by the outstretched legs of Zeng Cheng.

Team Melli continued its assault on China’s goal and should have scored a minute later after another set of passes following quick interchange of positions. Masoud Shojaei, the captain of the team, sent a measured ball to the fast advancing Milad Mohammadi on the left flank. The Grozny player controlled the ball nicely, passed his marker and was one on one with Zeng Cheng. However, with the angle closing and becoming acute , Mohammadi shot was met by the excellent Chinese custodian, and sent to the corner.

Reza Ghoochannejad vs China WCQ 2018

5 minutes later , another marvelous passing game, this time from the right resulted in Ghafoori sending an inch perfect pass to Shojaei. The Captain shot cleanly but once again Zeng Cheng saved China’s blushes. The ensuing corner saw Taremi’s scissor kick marginally missing target.

The first half ended goal-less.

It only took 30 seconds in the second half for Iran to take the lead. After a series of shamble clearances by the Chinese defense, Taremi found the ball at his feet inside the six yards box. His halfhearted lefty shot beat the wrong footed  Zeng Cheng and finally passed the goal line.

It was much deserved and long waited goal for Team Melli.

China on the other hand, showed very little initiative and ambition. Only late in the second half that the Chinese really pressed hard to score an equalizer , which incidentally would not have made a big difference in their chances.

Iran now awaits the crucial encounter at Azadi with Uzbekistan. A win, will guarantee Iran early qualification.

Sardar Azmoun vs. Manchester United under Queiroz watchful eyes.

The prolific young Team Melli striker, Sardar Azmoun has scored two goals on Friday for his club FC Rostov  in a 6-0 routing of the struggling Tom’ Tomsk in the Russian Premier league to lay a strong claim for a starting line up against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa cup next week.

On Thursday 9th March, FC Rostov will be hosting the famous Red Devils at home for a memorable encounter. Carlos Queiroz will have a golden opportunity to fly to Russia to be close to the action and hit two birds with one stone. Queiroz spend a few years in Manchester United as the right hand man of Sir Alex Ferguson. He has a chance to meet with his compatriot Jose Mourinho and some of the senior players he worked with , while also checking on the hot Sardar Azmoun against strong opposition of the highest class.

Azmoun has been performing admirably with Rostov and speculation are rife that he is wanted by many clubs while the Chinese have also shown interest in acquiring his services. Azmoun is adamant to continue with Rostov until the end of the World Cup before deciding on his future.

Queiroz will be also checking on Ghoochannejad and Jahanbakhsh in the Netherlands.  Both these plyers have been doing well and scoring vital goal for their repective clubs and helping them climb up the table.

While their is strong speculations that Queiroz is leaving to South Africa, a claim that seems to be be re-occuring every now and then, the Portuguese coach continues his preparation plans for two crucial FIFA  World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Qatar in Doha then at home in Azadi against China. Full points from these two matches virtually guarantees Iran qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia.

 

Iran still leads the table ahead of Korea and Uzbekistan.

 

Glorious days for Iranian strikers in Europe.

Team Melli strikers in Europe, are rewriting the history and reaching feats that their predecessors did not manage or was unthinkable. 

Reza Ghoochannejad, Sardar Azmoun , Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Karim Ansarifard the four players who happened to be all playing up front in their teams have done Iran’s football pride by consistently scoring goals in the most competitive of leagues.

Reza “Gucci” Ghoochannejad , who had a torrid couple of season in the lower English League and Persian Gulf countries, gradually found his form after transferring  to SC Heereneveen in the Eredivisie. Gucci scored his 14th goal of the season yesterday in a 3-0 win against Roda JC Kerkrade .

Sardar Azmoun, the golden boy of Iran has scored 7 goals for his team in various competitions, including 4 goals in one season of the UEFA Champions League. He is the only the second Iranian player to score in this competition after Ali Daei who scored 6 goals in two seasons for Hertha Berlin in the UEFA Champions League.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh who has been playing professional in the Eredivisie for 4 seasons now although he is only 23, has enjoyed a good run with his club AZ Alkaamar. He has already doubled his tally from last season scoring 6 goals so far for the Dutch club.

Karim Ansarifard whose football career was seriously being undermined while warming the bench at segunda Division Osasuna in Spain, made it good after transferring to the Greek league. With Panionios he scored 14 goals in one a half season before being grabbed by the league leader Olympiakos Piraeus in the winter transfer window. Karim already opened his account with Olympiakos by scoring a brace in UEFA Europa league against Turkish side Osmanlispor.

.It has never been so good for Iranian players in European leagues. Household names such as Ali  Daei, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Ali Karimi , Vahid Hashemian, Karim Bagheri and host of other Iranian players played in Europe especially after that famous FIFA 1998 World Cup. However, despite the relative success , it is definitely not comparable to the success that the current group is enjoying in Europe despite Team Melli lack of success or achievement.

 

Team Melli scores 6 past Kyrgyzstan.

Team Melli cruised to a comfortable 6-0 win against Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday in the friendly International match held at Azadi Stadium in front of 4500 fans.

Iran scored early through Masoud Shojaei’s penalty on the 6th minute , before Mehdi Taremi made it 2-0 with a double-header , first saved by the keeper while the rebound to Taremi himself was headed home for a goal. Torabi sealed the first half with a brilliant shot from an angle at 29th minute.

The second half with several changes only came alive late after both teams struggled to find a rhythm due to the many substitutions that seems to disrupt the international friendly games nowadays.

However , as soon as Team Melli settled, the team played with style and finesse resulting in another three goals and many missed ones too. Karim Ansarifard eventually scored after missing many chances in the match in the 68th minute. Sardar Azmoun who just came in as a substitute for Taremi made it 5-0 with a spectacular ball from immaculate teamwork and finally Ansarifard scored the 6th after Azmoun’s ball rebounded from the post for Karim to slot in his 2nd of the match and Iran’s final goal.

This was a good practice match for Team Melli. The opposition was not as strong as hoped however , there were some brilliant teamwork, individual skills and fine ball distribution. Like always there were lessons to be learned from this match. The fact that the forwards were getting offside was quite noticeable. There is some works to be done on that.  The player’s ball possession still needs to be looked at. The fact theat Iranian players keep the ball more than the average European professional is evident. This match was an improvement, but Queiroz has not yet managed to improve this to a higher level.

Haghighi in goal, despite not being truly tested in the match, was not convincing. His saves by punching and risky jumps between number of players was a sign of lack of real competition. His clearing of the ball by punching, left a lot to be desired.

The two debutant, Mahini and Tayebi performed played quite well. Both of the player played with confidence and did not look like it was their first international game for their country. Milad Mohammadi was a gem of a player especially when attacking from the flanks. His moves where delightful to watch. Mehdi Torabi , the Gazelle of Iran’s football , did not show his usual runs and skills yet still managed to score a beauty.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh: The eye-catching Iranian, in name and style

The 60-second story

Born in the tiny town of Jirandeh in the mountainous Armalu District in northern Iran, Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s career started in humble surrounds when he joined the youth academy of local club Damash Gilan.

 

FACTBOX

  • Date of birth: August 11, 1993
  • Place of birth: Jirandeh, Iran
  • Height: 1.80m
  • Position: Attacking midfielder
  • Current club: AZ Alkmaar

After a brief spell with Damash Tehran, an affiliate of Gilan, he returned to his parent club in 2011 and made his Iranian Pro League debut as a 17-year-old in a 1-1 draw against Mes Kerman, making him one of the youngest players in the club’s history.

Ten goals in 42 appearances for Damash Gilan, along with a number of eye-catching performances for Iran’s under-20 and under-23 national teams, including five goals in four games in the qualification for the 2012 AFC Under-19 Championships, caught the attention of Dutch side N.E.C.

The talented winger was promptly signed to a three-year deal in July 2013.

 

The youngster has impressed during his time in Holland.

While the club struggled on the pitch and was ultimately relegated at season’s end, Jahanbakhsh excelled, scoring six times and providing five assists in 33 matches.

Playing in the second-tier Eerste Divisie only hastened his development as he helped N.E.C. gain promotion back to the Eredivisie with 12 goals in 28 matches, which caught the attention of some of Holland’s bigger clubs.

A move to AZ Alkmaar on a five-year contract was sealed in August last year, and while he struggled for a spot in the side at the start of this season, he has since established himself as a regular for the two-time Eredivisie champions. He already has 19 appearances and scored two goals, his first coming in January this year against his former club N.E.C.

Iran exited last year’s Asian Cup in a quarter-final defeat to Iraq

Why you need to know him

Alongside fellow whiz-kid Sardar Azmoun, Jahanbakhsh will be the star of the Iranian national team for the next decade. In a country that demands success and entertaining football, the pacy winger has all the attributes to be a long-term standout for Team Melli, with some likening him to former Iranian legend and 2003 Asian Player of the Year Mehdi Mahdavikia.

As the top-ranked team in Asia, Iran will be expecting to qualify for their second consecutive FIFA World Cup and after playing only a bit-part in Brazil (44 minutes in total), the 22-year-old Jahanbakhsh will want to play a leading role on the road to Russia, and in the tournament itself if Iran qualifies.

Strengths

Fellow national team youngster Sardar Azmoun is thrilled by the prospect of playing alongside him for the next decade

Like the aforementioned Mahdavikia, Jahanbakhsh has pace to burn on the flanks, primarily on the right, but is far from being a one-trick-pony. He knows how to finish and has both an excellent crossing ability, the avenue of a lot of his assists, and the ability to find the back of the net, with a calmness in front of goal. With poise that belies his tender age, he has great game awareness and knows what to do in the right moments.

And for a player who only stands at 180cm, his aerial ability is surprisingly strong, making him a weapon all over the park.

Weaknesses

While he is strong in the air for his small stature, his small physique can see him bumped off the ball too easily at times against more physical defenders. To make up for this he can commit quite a few fouls, with five yellow cards already this season for AZ following on from nine yellows and one red card in his two seasons with N.E.C.

Jahanbakhsh has drawn comparisons with Iranian great Mehdi Mahdavikia. Photo: iranfootballteam.com

They said

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 by Jahanbakhsh, fellow national team youngster Azmoun, who is generating just as much excitement in Tehran, is also thrilled by the prospect of playing alongside the winger for Team Melli for the next decade.

“Jahanbakhsh and me have been doing well. We are great friends and hope to serve the country for a long period of time.”

Did you know?

Mahdavikia, the player some Iranian fans think Jahanbakhsh can emulate, was partly responsible for the then 20-year-old making the move to Europe. He encouraged the young star, who was his teammate at Damash Gilan in 2011-12, to take the plunge and ignore more lucrative offers from the likes of Iranian giants Persepolis, even visiting him in Holland to ensure he had settled in.

And while he admits to some initial struggles, settle in he did. After being named behind only Memphis Depay as the best young player in the Eredivisie in the 2013-14 season, Jahanbakhsh went one better in 2014-15 when he won the Golden Ball as the player of the season in the Eerste Divisie with 12 goals and 18 assists from 28 matches.

What happens next?

With qualification for Russia a distinct possibility, he would (have) the perfect window to impress bigger clubs

Jahanbakhsh has said he prefers to stay in Holland to develop his career, knocking back offers from France and Turkey before signing with N.E.C. in 2013, and with a five-year contract with AZ Alkmaar under his belt he certainly has a chance to do that.

“I always follow my heart. I had offers from France and Turkey, but didn’t accept them. I was also close to a move to Persepolis, the biggest club in Iran, but preferred to play abroad,” he said recently.

Still only 22, the right-winger has the world at his feet. With Iran about to enter into the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Jahanbakhsh will likely play an increased role in Carlos Queiroz’s side.

With qualification for Russia a distinct possibility for Team Melli, he would be just the right age and with the perfect window to impress the bigger clubs in Europe. With reports that Celtic and Manchester United have been keeping tabs on the winger in recent years, don’t expect Jahanbakhsh to see out his five-year deal with AZ.

 

Big blow for Omid team.

Iran Olympics football Team U 23, Omid Team received a setback when it was confirmed that 3 of its top players will not be competing in the finals of the AFC U23 championship which is also the qualifiers for the Rio 2016 Men Olympics Games Football competition.

Sardar Azmoun, Saeed Ezatollahi and Alireza Jahanbakhsh will not be part of the squad that will be competing in Doha in two weeks time.

Habib Kashani , the head of Team Omid said “These 3 players are registered as professionals in European club. We were unable to obtain the release from their respective clubs. The competition for the Olympics are not played in FIFA days and as such these clubs are not obliged to release their players for their national representative teams. All these clubs will be either busy in their own league competitions or preparing for the league as the case with the two Russian based players are.”

Sardar Azmoun, Saeed Ezatollahi  (FC Rostov) and Alireza Jahanbakhsh (AZ Alkmaar) are also in Team Melli squad in addition to playing for the U23 team. Their  quality and European experience is considered vital for the Omid team which is trying to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 40 years. Kashani , however, played down the significance of the 3 players absence and said that their team has been mainly competing and training without the 3 players most of their campaign and their absence for the final will not produce a shock for the team.

Iran, under coach Mohammad Khakpour,  will be playing in Group A with host Qatar , Syria nd China. Omid’s first match will be on 12th January against Syria U23.