Tag: Malavan

Dragan Skočić, appointed as Croatia’s U21 head coach.

The former Team Melli coach Dragan Skočić has been appointed to Croatia Under 21 Football Team.

According to  Croatian Football Federation officially announced on Friday afternoon that Dragan Skocic’s contract with the under-21 football team has been signed.  The  statement said :

“Skocic’s last work was leading the Iranian national team, which successfully led the team to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and by scoring 25 points in 10 games in the third qualifying round of the World Cup, a new record for the national team. Iran registered. Skocic didn’t have the chance to lead Iran to the finals despite the great results. Before coaching Iran’s national football team, Skocic coached Rijeka, Interblock Ljubljana, Al Arabi, Nasr, Malavan, Foolad, Rayka Babol, and Sanat Naft, and his coaching successes include winning the Croatian FA Cup with the Rica team and winning the Slovenian FA Cup and Supercup pointed with Interblock. He reached the final of the Crown Prince Cup with Al-Arabi and led Al-Nasr and Foolad in the AFC Champions League. Skocic was nominated for the 2021 World Coach Award by the IFFHS. Skocic, who has to participate in the European Championship with the Croatian team in less than 70 days, said about accepting the leadership of the Croatian under-21 team: Skočić said: I take on this role with great pride, ambition, and optimism, and to Mr. Kostic, the president of the Croatian Federation. Thank you for your trust.”

He added: Igor (former coach of the Croatian youth team) did a very good job in this team. My wish is to finish the European Cup with the best possible performance and then start gathering and building the new generation. We have really talented and quality players. I look forward to the challenge of using my knowledge and experience to help them realize their potential”

teamelli.com wishes Dragan Skočić the best in leading his country’s youth team.

Results of autopsy on Mehrdad Ouladi revealed.

An official spokesman for the District Attorney , denied that the death of former Team Melli and Malavan player was an act of suicide.

Mehrdad Ouladi , was pronounced dead in a Tehran hospital after he was taken to the Emergency Ward in an ambulance from his home. The doctors said that the 30 years old player had suffered a heart attack and all efforts to revive him were fruitless.

In the absence of official reports, rumors were rife that the Malavan player was suffering from depression and subsequently has took his own life. However, the spokesman for the Attorney General in Tehran declared today that the result of the post mortem was excessive consumption of alcohol and substances which has led to Ouladi’s heart failure.

Mehrdad Ouladi passed away on 19th April 2016. 

The beginning of league season, joy and gloom.

The 15th Season of Iran Pro football, the Persian Gulf League started with all its usual actions, fanfare, claims and counter claims by coaches, who never seem to tire from their blame culture. It was a bright start for Esteghlal , Sepahan , and Malavan all registering their first wins. The big game of the week between Tractorsazi and Naft Tehran which was so controversial at the final game of last season when Tractorsazi players and fans went into a wild celebration after the final whistle thinking they won the league, was much more quieter and mundane this time. The goalless draw was a drab affair but at least no one fooled Tractorsazi players this time.

Arash Afshin scored for Malavan

Persepolis, with a young team and a highly confident Branko Ivankocvic who is claiming his team is challenging for the championship title and nothing less, could do no better than draw at home against Padideh. The highlight of that game was a wonder equalizing strike by Hadi Nouroozi. Rah Ahan , were minutes away from winning away to Foolad Khuzestan after they lead 2-0 but two quick goals near the end ensured the teams share the spoils. Rah Ahan remained in the top league after the ruling from the appeal committee of FFIRI against their relegation for fielding unregistered player.

Mehdi-Sharifi-Sepahan_

Malavan Anzali, a team that is unfairly taking advantage of some peculiar ruling in Iran that allows it to snatch young players during their military service, defeated last season’s Cup winners Zob Ahan 1-0, the goal scored by Arash Afshin , one of the players who does not belong to Malavan but the Bandar Anzali team can get his service for free because it is categorized as a Military team!

As customary for coaches here, Zob Ahan’s Yahya Golmohammadi blamed elements behind the scene for his team’s defeat!

As far as Team Melli players were concerned, there was some good form displayed by various players. Sajjad Shahbazzadeh , Esteghlal’s forward who was selected for Team Melli but never made any squad, scored two goals for his team away to Siah Jamegan. Mehdi Sharifi , continued where he left off last season when he scored the winner against Esteghlal Khuzestan from an inch perfect cross by another Team Melli player, Ehsan Haj Safi.

Sajjad Shabazadeh- Potential Team Melli candidate

Amongst all the actions, the 2015/16 season was not a happy ground for a number of current and former Team Melli players. Amongst the top players sadly missing in action were, Karim Ansarifard, and Ahmad Ale Nemeh. Both part of the FIFA World Cup squad in Brazil, the two players could not find a team. Ansarifard who had a torrid season with Osasuna and was sadly released at the end, insists that he wants to play in Europe and looking for a team in the better league of western Europe.

Other recent and former Team Melli players who were not wanted by any team at the start of the season are:

Javad Kazemian, Mehrdad Ouladi , Siavush Akbarpour , Seyed Mohammed Seyed Salehi , Farshid Talebi , Ahmad Jamshidian , Milad Zeneidpour, and Mohsen Bayati.

The listed players are all out of contract and looking for teams.

Ezzatollahei on track to join La Liga Champions Atlético Madrid

In a surprise , but not totally unexpected move, Saeed Ezzaatollahei , the young Malavan player who has dazzled the crowds in his short career , has announced that he accepting the La Liga champions  Atlético Madrid’s offer and signing for them.

The player’s father Nader Ezzaatollahei said his son , after studying the 3 offers on hand, opted for the Spanish Champions, the other two coming from Russian club Rubin Kazan and the Portuguese Sporting Lisbon. “Saeed will be joining Atlético Madrid’s U-21 team and he will be flying to Madrid soon” the Senior Ezzaatollahei said.”We would like to express our gratitude to all the people who made this move possible and a special thanks goes to Malavan Bandar Anzali’s CEO, Sirous Mahjoob.”

The 17 years old Saeed Ezzaatollahei, will play for the La Liga champions U-21 team in the league.  Spain has a strong U21 league that has produced many world-class players who became household names at senior levels. The details of the contract was not disclosed.

Not surprisingly , after the disappointing results of the World Cup 2014, where none of the Team Melli players managed to attract the interest of the European teams, the burden is on the  17 years old youngster to represent Iran’s in Europe albeit in the lower leagues at a time when the Iranian stars failed to impress. Only two other Iranians have played in the La Liga , Nekounam with Osasuna and Shojaei with Osasuna and Las Palmas. Nekounam is strongly linked with a return to Osasuna again , playing in the second division next season after their eventual relegation last season.