Ali Daei's Golden Opportunity

Ali Daei might be a legend of Iranian football but he falls short in being a legend at Persepolis. Despite being a huge Persepolis fan, his achievements as a player at Persepolis are a big fat zero. He hasn't even won any derby against Esteghlal as a player, although given the number of draws, it's almost impossible to have a derby win as a player these days. So while all-time greats like Ali Parvin, Karim Bagheri, Farshad Pious, and also Ali Karimi can be considered Red legends, Ali Daei falls short. In fact, Daei is not even popular among the Red fanbase.

Daei however now has a unique opportunity to win over Persepolis and his fans and finally become some kind of legend with Persepolis. He can also jumpstart and renew his career as a coach, by winning something with Persepolis. If he does that and with the recent failures in Iranian football, he might be seen in a new light.

This is Daei's second chance in football to give himself a whole new outlook and position, to be seen different. If he has learned from past mistakes, he will not only be succesful but he will have a strong word to say in Iran's football future. If he fails, well, he will always get another chance because of who he is, but he will not be respected by anyone.

So this is Daei's one chance of regained popularity, respect, and a second lifeline as a coach. He just needs to learn from past mistakes.