Tag: Nekounam

Iran punished by FIFA for disciplinary misconduct

IRIFF is to pay a hefty CHF 85,000  (US$ 87,784) fine to FIFA as a result of sanctions imposed on the football association for incidents during recent 2018 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying matches, including the discriminatory and severe unsporting conduct of spectators as well as religious manifestations.

In the match against Qatar , the altercation and the chaos that ensued Iran's first goal resulted in a fine on two players , Azmoun and Hajsafy and a 3 match ban for assistant coach Javad Nekounam. Improper conduct among supporters,  Unauthorized persons in the field of play (Nekounam)  and Team misconduct were in violation of articles 52 and 67 of the FDC article 26 par. 9 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Regulations, according to the ruling body. That has incurred a CHF 40,000  (US$ 41,310) fine and a severe warning against future misconduct.

In the match against Korea, where the religious authorities extremely upset about the match being played in tasooa , a Shia mourning remembrance day. (the greatest of the sins) turned  Azadi stadium into a massive Husseiniya in clear defiance to the spirit of sport and FIFA regulations banning any form of religious and political expression in stadiums during football matches.

FIFA also accused Iran of organizing religious ceremony before the game and at half-time . Use of a drone during  the ceremony,  improper conduct among spectators by holding and displaying religious banners throughout the game,

As a result of violations of article 52 of the FDC + articles 4 & 5 of the Regulations of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia , FIFA has imposed a sanction on FFIRI amount of CHF 45,000  (US$ 46,473) in addition to a reprimand letter and a severe  warning.

Iranian football is notorious for displaying all sort of religious expression. In league matches, it seems that the authorities or at least the radical religious faction in the country promote and encourage such behaviors, while the Football Federation is too scared to punish the offenders in fear or reprisal by the radical religious faction

Despite many warning, this seems to be a repeat offense by Iran and subject to future sanctions or banning of matches being played in the country or matches being played behind closed doors.

Looking deeper at Iran chances.

Now that it is safe to assume that Team  Melli players WILL exchange shirts with the rivals after each match in the World Cup, we can look relax and think of more important issues like what are Iran chances in Group F.

There is no denying what is the fans expectations are.  We have arranged several polls here at TeamMelli.com and have come to an early conclusion that the majority of the fans across the globe expect Team Melli to succeed. The majority wants and expects Team Melli to qualify to the next round ahead of Nigeria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Is that a realistic expectation or just one of those wishful thinking bits that passionate football fans always dream of beyond but it is beyond the capabilities of their beloved teams.?

If you are looking for a quick answer , we do not have one, but if you are patient enough to read our outlook , then please do so and then come up with your own conclusion versus ours.

DejagahAThese days, friendly or practice matches prior to the World Cup is dime a dozen. There are lots of them as each team is examining the strength and the weaknesses of their line up or try to sort out the tactical plans or maybe to put the final touches. The giants like Spain, Germany, France, England and Brazil have been toying with weaker opponents and having a ball. Out of all of those friendly matches, none was more dignifying,   encouraging, and inspiring than the Germany vs. Cameroon match. No need to go into the historical background of the two teams for level comparisons, all one can say is the Germany at home should have easily dispensed of their less glamorous African opponents with ease. They did not and one reason for that is the motivation of Cameroon players and coaches , their willpower and their courage. Something that Queiroz and his men must take a note of.

Cameroon , did not park the bus in Mönchengladbach, they dared to attack and attack they did. They were rewarded and scored the first goal. Germany hit back and scored the equalizer then the second goal , both brilliantly taken. The locals were waiting for the third to cap good day work for Germany , but once again Cameroon dared to attack the Germans at their home and managed to score a beautiful well-earned equalizer. It ended all square 2-2 in Germany.

We have not seen Queiroz being bold enough or daring in any of his matches, and expecting him to change his mentality overnight is wishing for a miracle. The man is conservative by style and that is his right as there is a lot at stake at this level of football.

NekounamJWhat  though , if the boys are given a bit more freedom to go attack, Teymourian , Nekounam and Dejagah daring to attack and taking the battle into the enemy premises. What if Pooladi or Beikzadeh on the left and Heydari on the right feed the box with accurate crosses for our forwards and midfield player to take a chance or two?

It is a question of desire rather than ability. In Dejagah , Team Melli has a winner in every sense. Both strikers have some beautiful touches and finishes. They have both proven their qualities. And then we have a gem of young player Jahanbakhsh who is rearing to go , if he is given a chance or two, He is not short of courage , running and willpower.  We sure do have the tools and the resources, what is needed is the will ,  the desire and some bravery. Cameroons of this world do not score by parking the bus. They dare to attack and they reap the reward.

Saying all that, we do not advocate chaotic offensive game plan as the defense is very vital. Unless we do attack , take the time to organize the players forward, we will not be able to win matches.

Apart from Argentina, which incidentally is not known for its World Class defending, the other two teams are not superior to Iran. Sometimes, strong desires and mentality can overcome tactics and skills and wins you matches.

Our conclusion is if Queiroz opens up and employs some of his weapons, Team Melli can surprise a few people and possibly qualify. Deploying defensive strategy is more difficult to see the team making it to the next round.  Fortunately, team Melli has been pretty impressive in quick counter attacks, which has won them at least three matches in the Qualifiers. Whether such strategy will work at this much higher level , is something that has to be seen

Bleachers Report: Analysing Carlos Queiroz's Iran

By Sam Tighe , World Football Tactics Lead Writer

Welcome to the latest edition of our World Cup tactics board, where we look at each nation that has qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

This time around, we've studied minnows Iran, led by former Real Madrid and Manchester United stalwart Carlos Queiroz and spearheaded by Fulham attacker Ashkan Dejagah.  

Qualifying

The Asian qualifying path to the World Cup is long and unforgiving; it crams many fixtures into a short amount of time, making for an early start and an early finish to proceedings. Iran were the second Asian nation to seal their place in Brazil after Japan, topping Group A by two points and seeing off the challenge of South Korea (qualified in second) and Uzbekistan. They lost just twice throughout the campaign and conceded just two goals in their final eight games. They struggled for goals too, scoring an average of just one per game in the final stage and winning most games 1-0. Four of their players scored three goals during qualifying, though Reza Ghoochannejhad didn't emerge as a starting option until late.  

Formation and Style

Iran play the most defensive 4-2-3-1 formation you'll see at the finals, with Queiroz preaching discipline, tracking and numbers at the back. His back four are a genuine back four, with the full-backs only venturing forward for the odd attack and throw-ins. Out of possession, they're as flat as can be, charged with man-marking the wingers and harassing midfield runners.
 
Iran sit off the ball-player and mark the midfield
The Persian Stars are happy to sit off the ball when their opponents have it in their own half. Far removed from any form of high-press strategy, opposing centre-backs will have all the time in the world to pick a pass. The problem is that there are no options, as Iran swamp out the midfield by switching into a deep 4-4-1-1 or 4-1-4-1 and man-mark all outlets. They barely encroach upon ballplayers to pressure and instead decide to present the opposition with no options.
AV With no one to pass to, SK hit it long. Again.
Inevitably, players get fed up and play longer, riskier passes. Here's an example from a stifling 1-0 victory over South Korea that sums up the approach. If the opposition are able to work it forward—via pass, overload or dribble—Iran become snappy and aggressive in hunting down the ball, treading the thin line between firm challenge and foul on a regular basis. They're often touch-tight and work incredibly hard to win the ball back, but once they have it, that's where the problems start. Offensively, they are stunted, and it doesn't help when all they do going forward is pass it to Javad Nekounam and hope he can pick out a stunning, incisive long pass.
AV
Iran aggressively pursue the ball as it enters their territory.
Nekounam will always look to the wings first and foremost to release a runner, and Masoud Shojaei has impressed on the left opposite Ashkan Dejagah with his hard running, opportunistic releases and enthusiasm. Reza Ghoochannejhad has emerged as an opportunistic finisher, with nine goals in 11 international appearances, but how will he cope against the defences of Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Nigeria?  

Reasons for Hope

This Iran side is extremely well-drilled. Every player knows his job off the ball and has subscribed to Queiroz's way of thinking. He's renowned as a defensive coach, which didn't suit Portugal in 2010, but this is the ideal fit. The defensive unit, led by Seyed Jalal Hosseini, looks settled and competent. Hosseini himself commands an organised back line and barks orders at his full-backs on a regular basis.
B/R Tighe (@stighefootball)
Possible Iran XI for the finals.
Andranik Teymourian, Nekounam's defensive midfield partner, is also more than handy and has experience—albeit very limited—in the Premier League. Dejagah will give them an attacking edge often missing during qualifying, but he'll be required to make his own chances and finish them himself. Nekounam will make the first pass, but beyond that, it's up to him. Mohammadreza Khalatbari is a wild-card substitution capable of winning a game, but he lacks consistency and lost his starting place over the last 12 months.  

Reasons for Concern

Iranian fitness levels have always been doubted—a product of most players playing in the low-standard Iranian Pro League—and nothing we've seen in 2014 bucks that trend. With the exception of Ghoochannejhad, Nekounam and Dejagah, you worry about the durability of this side over the course of 90 minutes against Lionel Messi, Edin Dzeko and Emmanuel Emenike. Said fitness concerns aren't exactly helped by the kick-and-rush approach taken by Queiroz and his men while attacking, and it's no wonder they tire, as they rarely ever have the ball. "Resting in possession," a la Barcelona, doesn't have to be taken too seriously by international teams, but the Persian Stars could do with adopting a little bit more patience on the ball. Quality, or a lack thereof, factors in here, of course. Can Ghoochannejhad, Nekounam and Dejagah break down Argentina, Nigeria and BIH single-handedly? The honest answer, on paper, is no.  

Conclusions and Predictions

You'd be mad to back Iran to get out of a very challenging Group F, but that doesn't mean they're a walkover. They don't scrabble around defensively and block shots with flailing legs a la North Korea in 2010; Queiroz has coached this team to the point that they're positionally superb off the ball. While they are expected to eventually yield, don't expect landslide scorelines and a minus-10 goal difference at the end of the tournament.

Team Melli players’ preoccupation with club careers.

While Team Melli will be hitting the trail again in the next few days , destination Vienna , Austria, many of the players will carry along with them one heavy additional baggage. Club careers are pre- occupying their thoughts and possibly disturbing their concentration at the wrong time.

Domestically and in the aftermath of uncovering players wages in the media, with some very hefty wages that is well above the Iranian high professional pay scales, the public questioned the merits of these wages especially and particularly that the source of money paid to footballers is from Public Fund and not generated by the clubs.

The Minister of sport was highly critical of the situation and under pressure from the parliament and his peers, changes in the pay structure and club managements have ensued. Both the top clubs, Persepolis and Esteghlal will see major management changes, stricter payments to players and coaches, belt tightening policies and proper audit system for accounting those expenses. Persepolis has started the ball rolling with the appointment of a new CEO. Rahimi , the ex- CEO of Sepahan was recently appointed to replace the short stint of Ali Parvin as the boss. Esteghlal will follow suite.

Such changes have not gone unnoticed by the players many of whom still waiting on payment arrears by their clubs. Almost all the clubs in Iran are under debt, some much bigger than others. With the uncertainty raised due to the recent development, many players are concerned and worried while thinking of moving on. As such, the business of players agents is picking up sharply in Iran, with significant activities in the last few weeks.

أحمد آل نعمه

Much of the negotiations are carried out in secret as no one is willing to discuss anything that might threaten a deal. What is known though, is that many agents will be in Vienna during the Team Melli camp looking for players’ signature. The Qatari clubs have been quite active followed by some German Bundesliga clubs. It is also rumored that the English clubs will be sending some scouts to watch Iran games, but as these things operate, these scouts or agents will hardly reveal any names preferring to operate quietly and in privacy giving the media little indication of their targets.

What the observers expect is a big clear out and club changes of Iranian players after the World Cup. Legionnaire players such as Dejagah , Ghoochannejad, Jahanbaksh and possibly Sardar Azmoun could be on the move. Shojae’s future with Las Palmas is dependent on whether the Canary Island Team is promoted or not.

shojaei-profile

Many domestic players are looking West. Reza Haghighi is leaving Persepolis to a Bundesliga team pending formalities, Teymourian has many proposals, Nekounam , despite the rumors, will stay with Al Kuwait barring any last minute hitches, Khalatbary is looking at Qatar again, Bakhtiyar Rahmani has many proponents in Doha as well. Ahmed Ale Nemeh is also on the list of Qatar clubs.

With Persepolis and Esteghlal in financial disarray, some player’s migration is expected towards other local clubs. Sepahan is expected to lead the changes along with Persepolis and Esteghlal.

All these developments are coming at a crucial stage for Team Melli while preparing for the FIFA World Cup. With the players’ concerns for their future and naturally some worries of the unknown, the focus and concentration of these players will be affected. Their mental reediness and state of mind need to be at their highest for the biggest show on the earth. The onus is on Team Melli staff and particularly Querioz to ease their worries and channel their effort towards the World Cup and team preparations.

Jalali "There is no software to accurately measure players' running in Iran."

In the aftermath of the debate between Queiroz and some of his critics, regarding the measurement of Nekounam's running in the friendly match against Guinea, it turned out that both side of the argument are speculative about their figures. Carlos Queroz refuted Iran Varzeshi's claim that the distance that Nekounam ran was 5-6 Km in the match and provided an accurate measurement of 11.379 km. Majeed Jalali known to be a football software expert in addition to his job as a football coach, was interviewed regarding the tools for accurate measurement of a players performance. Jalali said "To accurately measure the performance of a player including the distance he covers in a match , an analysis software tools is required. Such tools are not available in Iran. A software company that markets this tool , charges 30 million Toman per match to provide the data and the hardware tools to be installed before the match requires a payment of 80 Million Toman." "The only time that such software was used in Iran was during the Hazfi Cup final between Zob Ahan and Rah Ahan a few years back." Hosseini , Nekounam and Shojaei among Thail players Jalali also emphasized the performance analysis and measurement of a football player is not just restricted by the distance run by a player but includes his stationary time, acceleration, burst acceleration and light running. Jalali also acknowledged that the student of Sharif University , the highest technology university in Iran , have developed a software to aid coaches in analyzing players' performance. He added that "unfortunately, the hardware required for the distance run measurement was under Western sanction and could not be purchased leaving the distance run part as dysfunctional" Commenting on the case of Nekounam , Jalali said "defending his Captain , is completely natural and logical move by Queiroz . A sub-standard performance in a friendly match should not be taken against Nekounam who was one of our best players in the qualifiers. I believe that Javad will be one of the key players in the World Cup." Majid Jalali resigned his post as Tractorsazi's coach on January 2014 after a series of poor results and fans discontent.  

Nekounam on his way out of Esteghlal

The Captain of Team Melli has finally decided to leave his Club Esteghlal. In a statement to ISNA news agency ,  Nekounam said that negotiations between Ghalenoei and Fatthollazadeh regarding his demands and future in the club was fruitless and he was lead to believe that Esteghlal does not want him at the club as he may leave anytime he wishes. "When Pejman Montazeri has made it known of his intention to leave Esteghal, the club including Ghalenoei did all they can to persuade him to stay " Nekounam added" However , it was not the way they acted in my case as they simply said that I can leave if I wish!" the 33 years old Javad Nokounam who joined the popular Esteghlal club in 2012 , was bitter about this treatment by the club and the coach and hence he declared his intention that he will be leaving. Nekounam who played for Osasuna in the La Liga for 5 successful seasons, said that he has offers from Qatari and Chinese clubs on the table. The apathy and disinterest shown by the club towards Nekounam is due to the public demand by Nekounam for the club to respect the terms of contracts with the players especially when it comes to payments of wages. That did not endear him to the club. Esteghlal , notorious for late payment of wages , had problems with virtually all of their players , however , it was the minority and the stronger character players who dared to challenge the club management openly. The more vociferous of them like Nekounam went public in hope of forcing the club to pay up. On the playing field, Nekounam was far from his best with the club as his form has dipped and was hardly instrumental or effective in the league as expected by Ghaleneoi. This form , or perhaps the lack of real interest shown by Nekounam while playing for Esteghlal, has dampened the enthusiasm of the very demanding Amir Ghalenoei , who has little sympathy with players who show contempt or lack of form on or off the field. Ghalenoei never shied away from confronting even the most famous or popular players when ever he What is clear now, is that Nekounam is finally on his way out of Estghalal after a turbulent and difficult time in Tehran.   ,

Iran comes out empty handed from AFC awards

Kuala Lumpur: China national team and Guangzhou Evergrande captain Zheng Zhi won the AFC Player of the Year award at a glittering ceremony on Tuesday depriving Iran's Javad nekounam who was running as the favorite from the award right from . Zheng Zhi became the first Chinese player to win this accolade since Fan Zhiyi claimed Asian football’s highest individual accolade in 2001.   Team Melli which was also shortlisted for the best Team of Asia , lost to Iraq's U-20 team while 4 other nominees in 4 different categories did not fare any better losing to their rivals.  
Nekounam in AFC Awards ceremony 2013

Team Melli is nominated for AFC Team of the Year 2013.

  After 6 continuous official matches victory in 2013 including FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifiers and AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 qualifying matches, Team Melli is nominated as the AFC Team of the Year 2013 in the AFC annual  Award nominations. Competing with Team Melli is Japan National team and Iraq Youth team (U-29). Iran has several nominees in this year's list including Team Melli Captain Javad Nekounam who is nominated as AFC Player of the Years. Team Melli played 8 official matches in 2013 winning 7 and drawing one. In the same period Team Melli played one friendly match only and that ended in a 3-1 loss to Oman. In the process , Team Melli qualified for the finals of the two most prestigious competitions, the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the AFC Asian Cup in Australia i2015.    

Annual Awards 2013 Nominees

AFC ANNUAL AWARDS 2013 NOMINEES (in alphabetical order; list as of today)          

AFC DIAMOND OF ASIA Dr. Chung Mong-Joon

AFC DREAM ASIA AWARD

AFC FAIR PLAY ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR

China Football Association

Japan Football Association

Korea Football Association

AFC FUTSAL TEAM OF THE YEAR

Chonburi Bluewave (Thailand)

Sanaye Giti Pasand (Iran)

Nagoya Oceans (Japan)

AFC FUTSAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Hossein Tayebibidgoli (Sanaye Giti Pasand: Iran)

Kaoru Morioka (Nagoya Oceans: Japan)

Suphawut Thueanklang (Chonburi Bluewave: Thailand)

AFC FOREIGN PLAYER OF THE YEAR            

Dario Leonardo Conca (Guangzhou Evergrande; Argentina)

Dejan Damjanovic (FC Seoul; Montenegro)

Luiz Guilherme Da Conceicao Silva (Guangzhou Evergrande; Brazil)

AFC ASIAN INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Keisuke Honda (Japan; CSKA Moscow)

Son Heung-Min (Korea Republic; Bayer Leverkusen)

Yuto Nagatomo (Japan; Inter Milan)

AFC ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR

WOMEN

Flynn Allyson Clare (Australia)

Sarah Ho (Australia)

Teshirogi Naomi (Japan)

MEN

Kamranifar Hassan  (Iran)

Nagi Toshiyuki (Japan) Sagara Toru (Japan)

AFC REFEREE OF THE YEAR WOMEN

Kamnueng Pannipar (Thailand)

Rita binti Ghani (Malaysia)

Yamagishi Sachiko (Japan)

MEN

Benjamin Williams (Australia)

Nawaf Abdulla  (Bahrain)

Yuichi Nishimura (Japan)

AFC CLUB OF THE YEAR

FC Seoul (Korea Republic)

Guangzhou Evergrande (China)

Kuwait SC (Kuwait)

AFC MEMBER ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR

 

AFC MA OF THE YEAR FOR GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL

All India Football Federation

Japan Football Association

Vietnam Football Federation

AFC NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR

WOMEN

DPR Korea U-19 National Team

Japan U-16 National Team

Korea Republic U-19 National Team

MEN

Iraq U-20 National Team

IR Iran National Team

Japan National Team

AFC COACH OF THE YEAR

WOMEN

Asako Takemoto (Japan)

Nuengrutai Srathongvian (Thailand)

Hwang In-Sun (Korea Republic)

MEN

Choi Yong-Soo (Korea Republic)

Hakeem Shakir (Iraq)

Jong Song-Chon (Korea Republic)

AFC YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR

WOMEN

Jang Sel-Gi (Korea Republic)

Wang Shuang (China)

Hina Sugita (Japan)

MEN Abbosbek Makhstaliev (Uzbekistan) Ali Adnan Kadhim (Iraq) Kwon Chang-Hoon (Korea Republic)  

AFC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Ha Dae-Sung (FC Seoul: Korea Republic)

Javad Nekonam (Esteghlal: Iran)

Zheng Zhi (Guangzhou Evergrande: China)

Nekounam shortlisted for AFC Player of the year 2013

 

AFC Annual Awards 2013: nominees announced

Published on Friday, 15 November 2013 17:34
Kuala Lumpur: AFC has announced the list of nominees for the 2013 AFC Player of the Year award on Friday. Iran and Esteghlal ace Javad Nekonam, AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande captain Zheng Zhi (China) and Ha Dae Sung (Korea Republic; FC Seoul) are in contention for the topmost AFC Player of the Year accolade. Guangzhou Evergrande's Brazilian import Luiz Guilherme Da Conceicao (Muriqui), who won the AFC Champions League's Most Valuable Player and Top Goalscorer awards, will be vying with his teammate Dario Leonardo Conca (Argentina) and FC Seoul's Motenegro ace Dejan Damjanovic for the AFC Foreign Player of the Year award. Yuto Nagatomo (Japan; Inter Milan), Son Heung-min (Korea Republic; Bayer Leverkusen) and Keisuke Honda (Japan; CSKA Moscow) are in the fray for the Asian International Player of the Year honour. The awards will be presented at a grand ceremony on November 26, 2013, at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur. AFC Player of the Year 2013 (in alphabetical order) Ha Dae Sung (Korea Republic and FC Seoul) Javad Nekonam (Iran and Esteghlal) Zheng Zhi (China and Guangzhou Evergrande) Asian International Player of the Year 2013 (in alphabetical order) Keisuke Honda (Japan; CSKA Moscow) Son Heung-min (Korea Republic; Bayer Leverkusen) Yuto Nagatomo (Japan; Inter Milan) AFC Foreign Player of the Year 2013 (in alphabetical order) Dario Leonardo Conca (Guangzhou Evergrande; Argentina) Dejan Damjanovic (FC Seoul; Montenegro) Luiz Guilherme Da Conceicao Silva (Guangzhou Evergrande; Brazil)

Sepp Blatter arrives in Tehran

  FIFA president Sepp Blatter arrived in Tehran this Wednesday morning to attend the second International Congress on Science and Football. He was received by  Ali Kaffashian, head of Iran Football Federation, and some dignitaries, including Ali Daei, Mehdi Mahdavikia and Current Team Melli Captain Javad Nekounam. Blatter is scheduled to meet the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the country's sports and youth ministry. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa will also arrive in Tehran  later today to attend the conference. Earlier , Sepp blatter commented about his visit to Iran by saying “The people of Iran are very happy to reach the World Cup,” said Blatter. “It will give a lot of emotions to this country. I will be honoured to meet President Rouhani and speak with him about the future of football in Iran.” Blatter whose executive jet landed at Imam Khomeini airport early in the morning at 4:45 , will have a busy schedule while in Tehran. In a brief statement in the airport, President of the football governing body said "I am glad that I have finally made this trip which is well over due. We have initially talked about it 2 years and finally I am here. " Blatter engaged in conversation with Daei asking him about the status of readiness of Team Melli for the World Cup.
Mahdavikia greets Blatter
Mahdavikia greets Blatter