Iran: The Lowdown From The Experts

As the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) still, at the time of writing, is still looking for a new national team coach number after a number of rejections from international names. The latest was a high-profile affair with former Spain boss Javier Clemente.

Goal.com Asia talked to the experts about a number of topics related to Team Melli and football in general.

Kaveh Mahjoob -contributor to www.Goal.com and editor of www.footballmedia.net.

Ali Azim-Araghi, Niloufar Momeni, Mahdi Rahimi and Babak Golriz of www.iransportspress.com

Afshin Afshar- contributor to www.Goal.com and editor of the late and great site www.lastkick.com

1 – When you first heard Clemente’s name mentioned, what did you think?

KM - Javier Clemente is one of the most successful head coaches that had ever been considered for the Iranian national team head coaching position. My first thought therefore was if true, Iran has found the right coach to lead it. In fact, I will place Clemente as one of the top two head coaches who were ever considered for Iran.

ISP - Iran has been linked with so many foreign coaches in the past few months that it is hard to get excited when a new name is mentioned. However, the first reaction was that he was better than the other names recently linked with the job such as Daum, Matthaeus and any Iranian choice due to his undisputed pedigree and no-nonsense approach.

AA - My immediate reaction was a very positive one. I thought Clemente would be the highest caliber coach Iran has had since Miroslav Blazevic in 2002.  However, my enthusiasm was quickly dampened when I was reminded of his problems with the Serbian football federation regarding his primary place of residence. I knew then that there would be problems with the Iranian federation as well.  

2-What did you think about the whole living-in-Iran situation? Do you think that Iran’s NT coach should live in Iran?  

KM - This one was simple for me. You coach a national team, you make that country your temporary residence. During a season, some 400 club matches are played between Iran’s Premier League and Elimination Cup. Add the Asian Club Champions league and over 420 matches are played by the leading clubs. There is an incredible amount of talent in these clubs that require discovery, nurturing and preparation. In my opinion, with two and half years before the next world cup, an Iranian national team head coach should consider: -    

1-2 of the current European players for the future of the national team -        

10-12 current national team members as real prospects. -       

At least 10 and possibly more of the 2010 national team should be found among those 18 clubs today and host of other youngsters that will play over the next two years in club matches. A coach is kidding himself and underestimating the intelligence of Iranian fans to think sitting by the beach and watching videos would provide leadership. That arrangement is one for an advisor and not a head coach.

Additionally, I raise a simple question for Clemente and coaches with that philosophy: How would you feel Mr. Clemente if Spanish national team was led that way by a Brazilian? Wouldn’t there be a revolt among fans and media in Spain? You bet there would be.

ISP -There are different views on this in our team:

My View: I personally expect Iran coach to live in Iran, no matter who he is. Clemente's expectations were unrealistic. I believe some people were happy to make an exception for him because he was a big name. But I don't believe we should change the goalposts just because of someone's name, no matter how big they are.

Other Views: As long as enough time is spent in Iran doing what is supposed to be done, then why not? I am a firm believer of quality not quantity. People were just fighting for a mere concept, something that may or may not be a factor. Now we will never know. Ideally, he would live in Iran too, but coaching a national team is not a full time job. Just like Wenger and Mourinho don't like to coach.  

AA -I think it is very logical to expect a coach to reside in the country where he works. This will allow him to attend league matches and keep a close eye on the local talent. With that said we all know that national teams do not make camp very often. Also a national side coach does not need to see every league match, or attend a match every week, in order to pick his top 22 or 30.   There could have been a compromise.  

Should the IFF accept a little/some/all of the blame for the Clemente situation? If so, why?

KM - Hands down, absolutely. Let’s review the circumstances. For 19 months, IFF had no leader. The problem I have is Clemente was very clear from day one that he will be a “video head coach” and how is it that the federation representatives missed that is beyond me.

IFF proposed a deal, got it agreed by Clemente, then added an amendment. It is as if the federation people were amateurs in the art of negotiation and contract process. A more professional federation would have put out the job’s requirements up front, would have insisted on the deal breakers before any agreement was to be announced. Almost a month was wasted by IFF and Clemente and the end result was time lost and more disappointment for the Iranian football.

ISP - IFF should accept all the blame. Clemente said from day one that he wanted to live in Spain. He had said that during the early negotiations in Spain, and then again when he arrived in Iran. While in Tehran, he participated in the popular TV show 90, and he insisted on living in Spain while coaching Iran. IFF officials didn't seem too bothered about this issue at the beginning and brought him to Tehran and wasted three weeks. If they didn't want a 'remote control' coach, why didn't they say so from the beginning? They were spineless to stand up for their own beliefs and backed off due to outside pressure (media and Physical Education Organisation).

AA -IFF is responsible and there are no two ways about it! They should have communicated their main requirements for the job to the coach very early in the negotiation process. Clemente’s problems with Serbia were public knowledge. Someone in IFF did not do their homework.   I have my own theory about all this however. I think the IFF officials were well aware of Clemente’s intentions to not reside in Iran fulltime, and they had reached an agreement with him. However, as the word leaked through to the media, someone higher up, perhaps in the National Physical Education Organization, which oversees football and all the other sports in the country, decided this was not a good idea and vetoed it.

Why is Iran having so much trouble finding a coach? How important is the political situation?

KM - Iran is a beautiful country with a long heritage and amazing and passionate fans. Some of the best talents of Asia can be found in Iran. Football is the number one sport in the country. Very good foreign coaches have always been well respected among fans and media.

A case in point is Mostafa Denizli. Iran is also a football fanatic country. With some 20 or so daily papers dedicated entirely or greatly to football, at any given time you have some 70 or 80 reporters, writers and journalists writing about the game. Expectations are extremely high. Then we have the organizational challenge. IFF has been an organization generally mismanaged for many years.

I don’t think the political situation is as important as people make it to be. Clemente, Portuguese Artur Jorge, Turkish boss Denizli, Dutchman Ari Haan, Brazilians Simoes (now Jamaica national team head coach), Tavares, Vieira (former Iraq national team and 2007 Asian Cup champs), Bonacic and a host of Balkan coaches have all either considered the job or coached in Iran over the last two years.        

It is the certain group of media who make the political situation a factor for coaching in Iran. The reality is that football coaches are non-political and love the work they do. In most cases, it is that simple.

ISP - Many say that Iran's political situation is an obstacle in brining in a top coach. That is true to some point, specially when you see how Iran is made to look in the Western media. However, teams like Iraq, with worse political and security problems don't have too many problems in finding foreign coaches.

It's more an issue about unprofessionalism and disorganisation and just simply not being serious about appointing a coach.  There are too many people in our football with too much power and too little knowledge on football, and this is the real reason why Iran is having so much trouble in finding a new coach.  

FIFA might think the recent appointment of the IFF president has solved all the problems, but that is far from true. The salary of the new head coach is paid by Iran Physical Education Organisation (PEO), headed by AliAbadi, and he has made it clear several times that if he is not happy with the proposed coach, he will do everything in his power to delay the contract talks. It was interesting that AliAbadi was the first person in Iran to voice his concern about having a 'remote control coach", and not IFF officials. After his interview, the IFF seemed to have changed their tone, and took a strong stance against Clemente. AliAbadi might have been banned by FIFA to run for IFF presidency, but he is in effect running IFF.

AA - It is a combination of many things, including the current political situation. Let’s face it, with all the rhetoric that is flying back and forth between Tehran and Washington, and the way the Western media portrays Iran, an average person would get the impression that a military conflict is only moments away. Also, the country’s exposure to the outside world has very limited in the last three decades, so an average outsider would have very little or no idea of what to expect and perhaps has many misconceptions. To erase some of these misconceptions, IFF needs to do a fantastic PR job, but that has never been their forte.      

Should the IFF be reformed and if so, how? 

KM- It is not that simple. FIFA is quick in penalizing federations when governments interfere. FIFA is well organized and instrumental in training coaches, referees and youth movements. FIFA is pathetic in helping football administrators to administrate. IFF management consists of mostly political figures that come to control the operations with every change in the presidential election. By no means do I solely blame FIFA for IFF’s problems. IFF has been incapable to run the local league, fix the infrastructure (stadiums, practice fields, club managements, …) for years. As FIFA has upgraded the referee and coaching standards, it could enforce policies and procedures to force poorly run federations to get better managed.

ISP -This topic needs a big forum. There is no point as the structure of our football from grassroots is flawed. Also, as already mentioned above, IFF doesn't seem to have much power, even after the changes enforced by FIFA. It is hard to see how there can be any reform, as long as PEO is headed by AliAbadi (who is a close friend and deputy to Iran's president, Ahmadinejad).  It is just an absolute necessity that those people who make decisions, to have some clue about it and have also the interest of our football in mind. Most of the people who have only their own interest in mind further don't realize that if they continue the way they do, sooner or later Iranian football will be dead.

AA- IFF can not be reformed as long as it reports to the National Physical Education Organization. PEO has full control of all the sports activities in the country and they control all the political and financial means that could make or break any sports federation. As long as that link exists any talk of reform is pointless.  

There have been some domestic names mentioned for the vacant national team coaching position– Daei, Ghaleneoi and Ghotbi. What are your thoughts about these?

KM - Domestically, the three names you mentioned plus Majid Jalali would be the right candidates. My thoughts on each: Ghaleneoi – He was an average player and has been a successful club coach in Iran. His tenure with the national team was simply unsatisfactory and a great disappointment. Ghaleneoi is also the one that carries an army of “advisors and staff” who are typically not there to really advise. His lack of international exposure at any level (except for a short tenure with the national team) makes him a poor candidate. Ironically, he is the leading candidate.

Ghotbi – Afshin Ghotbi is the best overall domestic candidate. He worked with some of the best Dutch coaches who are all leading national teams and taken teams to world cups. In his first major club experience in Iran he has kept Perspolis at the top. This is the first time in six seasons that Perspolis been in this position. Ghotbi has done that despite constant negative pressure of internal elements in Perspolis. He would be a good choice. Like Ghotbi, I also believe that Perspolis needs to win this year and when that happens with Ghotbi at helm, it would be a major achievement.

Daei – Ali Daei is another candidate with major international exposure. Playing for years in Europe under great coaches and achieving any possible goal a professional player could dream of makes Daei as good as Klinseman for Germany to lead Iran’s national team. Last year Daei won IPL with a modest and average team in his first year as a head coach. Daei’s best trait is his discipline and desire to win. He is a good domestic candidate.

Majid Jalali – He is one of the most educated and strategically minded coaches in Iran. His personality would fit better for a national team than a club although at the club level, Jalai took Pas to the IPL championship a few seasons ago and has his current club doing well. My guess is that IFF will pick Ghaelneoi for the job.

ISP -Daei has still too much unresolved problems with former players in Team Melli, and this may be three years too soon for Daei due to lack of some experience but more so due to bad blood with half the national team. If he is appointed now, many of the current players would refuse to play for him (including the likes of Karimi, Mobali, and possibly Mahdavikia). Daei's time will come in the future but not now. He remains the outsider for now.

Ghaleneoi: Many have not forgot his failure during the Asian Cup. However, he is possibly the most favoured candidate by PEO, and AliAbadi. It seems that IFF are not so keen to appoint him, as it would like a step backward, but it all depends on how much they are pushed by PEO.

Ghotbi would be the fans choice. He seems different from all the current coaches in Iran, and while he has lost his way in recent weeks with Perspolis, the fans still are in love with him. He doesn't have the CV yet to be a real asset for Team Melli, but there's nobody in Iran with half his knowledge in football. Kafashian has stated privately that Ghotbi would be his first choice.

Zolfagharnasab: Right now, "ideally", he would lead the team on a caretaker basis. Zolfagharnasab might not have the charisma of Ghotbi, or the support among PEO that Ghalenoei has, but he is very experienced and would be the best caretaker. At the same time, he might be the compromise option if IFF and PEO can't decide between Ghalenoei or Ghotbi.

AA- There is also a fourth name, and that is the manager of Zob Ahan of Isfahan, Dr. Bijan Zolfagharnasab, who also coached Iran in France 1998. Of the four, Dr. Zolfagharnasab has the most experience both in the national and international front. He could be the best domestic choice to lead Team Melli during the first round. His teams are usually solid in the back and opportunistic up front. He is also very good with younger players. However, he has always been an outsider, and never a favorite of the football establishment.  

Amir Ghalenoei has a fair amount of domestic experience; however, his shortcomings in the international game were highlighted during the Asian Cup 2007. Given time he could be OK, but time is a luxury that Iran does not have at this particular juncture.

Afshin Ghotbi, who currently coaches Perspolis FC of Tehran, has the most international experience amongst these four; however, all of it has been as an assistant. His only significant head coaching experience is with Perspolis FC in the last few months.  

Ali Daei is undoubtedly the biggest name in Iranian football. However, his coaching experience is very limited. In his first year ever as a coach, he won the league with Saipa in 2006-07. However, his team has been struggling this year.  

If I had to pick amongst these four, I’d pick Dr. Zolfagharnasab; however, the combination of Daei and Ghotbi leading the team is an intriguing concept as well. With Daei’s charismatic personality, and Ghotbi’s international experience, if surrounded by a couple of solid foreign assistants, they could get results. But this idea is too radical for IFF and will never fly.

Does Iran need a foreign coach –if so, who would be your choice?

KM - In general Iran needs a great strategist and qualified coach. A foreign coach with the right background and willingness to invest in the team is certainly of a great value. I like Guus Hiddink and Turk boss Mostafa Denizli. Hiddink is busy in Russia. I think Denizli has a better chance to succeed as he has already operated for a couple of years at the club level in Iran, has the support of fans and media and is well respected. Denizli also has the desire to work in Iran. I also do think that Ghotbi, Daei and Jalali would be good candidates for the job.

ISP -Iran needs a no-nonsense manager, with decent tactical discipline but more so someone with a big personality, bigger than the players egos, someone who would not be afraid to throw out big names who are past it. A coach with Mediterranean or Latin mentality would probably suit best.  The reason why many prefer a foreign coach, is that Iranian coaches are much of a muchness. We have already witnessed failures by Ghalenoei, and he is probably the best of the bunch. That's why Ghotbi is a choice that sticks out, because he is so different from all the other Iranian coaches, with his coaching methods, and his way of thinking totally different to what already present there.  

If a foreign coach is appointed, he needs to have some knowledge of the game and not just be a name, plus he needs to be good at man management. Calderon, the former Saudi Arabian coach, is someone who would be a good choice. Srecko Katanec would also as an example be a coach with knowledge on football and within reach for Iran. Of course, Lippi, or Guus Hiddink would be nice but won't happen.

AA- Yes, but not for this round. Unfortunately it is too late for any coach to step in and accomplish anything at this stage. I would like to see a foreign coach for the next rounds and through the World Cup. That is if Iran makes it out of the first round.  IFF should take a lesson out of the Greek federation’s success with Otto Rehhagel, and hire an experienced coach who is willing to commit to the team, and then provide him with all the support he needs. No specific coach comes to mind, but I am sure they are out there.  

What does a foreign coach need to know about Iranian football fans?

KM -  They are as passionate as Brazilian fans and as knowledgeable about the game as English fans. Don’t underestimate their intelligence and passion. They will be your best supporter if they believe in you and see progress and your worst critics if you take them for granted and disappoint them.

ISP -A foreign coach needs to know the Iranian football fans are similar to Newcastle United fans. Passionate about football, and expecting an attacking style. They also need to know that the fans are going to be welcoming at the beginning, but the honeymoon period could be very short lived. Iranians expect success and that is a minimal of qualifying for the World Cup and reaching the final of the next Asian Cup. He needs to know Iranian fans are very result oriented and majority of them have no patience and are not critical thinkers, and can be very easily influenced by Iranian media.

AA-They know, live, and love the game. They are hungry for success. They are easy to win over, and once there they will back you up till the end. They make up their own minds and do not see eye to eye with most of the sports media.

On the playing side, what should be the first thing that a new coach should do?

KM - Take an inventory of the best talent under the age of 30. Don’t build a team around the current “stars of the past” but rather on the stars of the future. Go to as many as three games a week for the remainder of the IPL and make sure to get out of Tehran to see games in other cities. Except for Nekounam, Taymourian and possibly Kia, don’t rely on any player in Europe. Kaebi is now back in Iran and that is the best news for Kaebi. Put your stamp on the style of the team once you recognize the talents you have.

On the topic of Iranian assistants, make your own choices. You need a great Iranian assistant to evaluate the true talent of IPL players but don’t rely on hand picked assistants of the IFF. Consult with club head coaches and hire the right assistant. Be an active participant in the process. The national team is yours to make or break not the federation and all advisors that are eager to give you their opinions.  Respect the media and the fans. Remember that every day you work in Iran, there will be at least 20 articles about you.

ISP- The team has looked very disorganised and disjointed in recent games, and that is one reason why Iran has failed to score goals. The new coach should give the team some playing style and organisation and make sure they learn to play with few touches and as a team, relying on team strength over individual skills. The new coach also needs to get rid of a number of 'past their prime players' and through that make a statement. Too many of Team Melli's players think they are the finished article, living under some sort of fantasy.

AA- Get rid of the old guard and bring in younger and new talent.   Conditioning, conditioning, conditioning! Iranian footballers can not play the full 90 minutes in today’s fast paced international game. With the exception of France 1998, no Iranian team has been able to physically match European or South American opponents for the entire game in an International tournament.   Stabilize the goalkeeping situation which has been an Achilles Heel. Find a consistent goal scorer. Since Ali Daei, many pretenders have come and gone, but no one has been able to establish his himself up front.

Are you confident that Iran will qualify for the World Cup?

KM -Not under the current circumstances. It is true that FIFA has made it easier for Asia to have five representatives in the world cup and those logically should be: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia and Saudi Arabia. It is also true that a few countries like Iraq and China are waiting for a mistake from the top five. Iran is taking many mistakes at the moment. I will give it a greater than 80% chance to advance from the current group. What happens then depends on the coach, his selections and the competition.  

ISP -By no means. The qualification path is not difficult and Iran has the players to finish among the top five Asian teams. On the other hand, Iran has been without a coach for six months, and Ebrahimzadeh has shown that he is clearly out of his depth at this level. The longer we take to appoint a new coach, the less confident we get.

AA- No, as a matter of fact, considering the current coaching fiasco, I seriously doubt that it will.

It hasn’t been a great season for Iran’s players in Europe – why do you think this is?

KM -Let’s face it, Asian players have a tough time in Europe. Success has been few and far in between in EPL for Asian players. Germany is tough and physical. Italy is rough but technical and Spain is entertaining and draining. Iran’s golden generation of players began their career between 1994 and 1998. The most successful Iranian players in Europe were Ali Daei and Mehdi Mahdavi Kia. Daei blossomed in 1996. Kia became a household name in the 1998 world cup with his goal against USA. 

The fact that Kia is still in Europe is a testament to his agility and style but he is now a part timer. Hashemian, Kia, Teymourian and Rezai are all bench warmers. Ali Karimi is thankfully out of Europe and no longer displays his lack of interest to play and practice in Bundesliga. Zandi has not played a real club match for ages. Again, except for Nekounam, possibly Teymourian and Kia, all others should be scratched. By 2010, Kia will be in his 13th year of playing in the national team. There are several other high profile players in Kia’s position that can replace him and he should also be considered as a scratched player for 2010. My point is, the Iranian players playing in Europe are mostly stars of the past -except two guys. The new coach should replace them immediately and give the new talent time to gain experience.

ISP- Some of them are at an age where their physical attributes are falling, like Mahdavikia and Hashemian, whilst others have had some bad luck with injuries at the wrong time, and some are simply not good enough to make it there, contrary to what they had thought. Some of the players went back to their clubs late, as a result of the Asian Cup, and didn't have a break over the summer.

A good example is Mahdavikia. At the same time, he turned 30 in July, and he is not the player he was before. Hashemian is also on the wrong side of 30, and with a lot of competition in Hannover, he cant expect much more.  Teymourian has struggled ever since Big Sam left, and Nekounam who had a great season last year has been injured.  Players like Kaebi failed as a result of their lack of effort in learning the new language and failing to come to terms with their new surroundings (similar to Karimi in Munich). On top of that, he is simply not good enough.

AA - Simple! The talented generation of the footballers who came through in the 90s is in the twilight of its career, and the rest are just not good enough.    

Thanks again to those who took time to answer questions.