iranforever2006
08-22-2007, 04:08 AM
Latest article by Kaveh Mahjoo, source: footballmedia.net
Yogi Berra, the famous baseball player and a funny man once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you probably won’t get there.” Iran’s football and her leadership are in such state of confusion.
It is not clear where the Iranian football leadership would want to take the national teams of our football.
It is not understood who the Iranian football leaders are.
It is also not clear why poor performers are continuously rewarded with contracts and deals.
The past two years have been unkind to Iran’s football. Defeats at every level from the world cup to Asian championships were common. As of this writing, thirteen months after Daadkan was fired, Iran’s Football Federation (IFF) has no chief. The national team is led by a coach that demonstrated another poor quality performance on and off the field and he himself has become the poster child for “intolerance” when it comes to pointing problems and deficiencies in his management.
The fact that Ghalenoi was not fired after the Asian Cup is a clear statement that Iran’s football leadership is in denial and is more worried about the relationships than it is with the gamesmanship. In addition, the current model of bringing mostly European based players for the national team and throwing them into a tournament has proven unsuccessful time after time.
Steps to fix the current state of affairs in Iran’s football are not that complex. As always, it is the will of those in charge that would make all the difference. I have my set of few suggestions, focused around the national team, and they are listed below.
1 – Start with the plan
Every organization, corporation or entity, has a charter and a plan that defines goals and objectives of such unit. Iran’s football also needs to define her plans for every age level. For the next three years, Iran’s football objectives could be as simple as:
- Abide by FIFA’s rules and standards
- Meet the Asian standards of club ownerships and facilities for the eighteen teams in Iran’s premier league (the Persian Gulf Tournament)
- Qualify for the 2010 world cup
- Place in the top 3 of every age level tournament in Asia (national teams or club level)
- Win the 2011 Asian Cup
The above agenda is not outrageous. At Asian level, Iran used to routinely win championships. Iran spends tens of millions of dollars annually for football. Channeling some of the money into basic infrastructure for the top 18 clubs seems reasonable and doable.
2 – Bring a highly qualified foreign coaching staff for the national team
This is not an emotional issue. It is a statement of where Iranian football is and how it needs experts’ help.
Great football coaches do not come from Asia. In the 2007 Asian Cup, head coaches of the top four teams were non-Asians. The same was true in the Asian Cup of 2004.
In the 2006 world cup, the head coaches of all five teams representing Asian and Oceania were European or South American.
The new head of IFF, when selected, will have to make a commitment to invest for 2010. Dutch and Brazilian coaches have done well in Asia. Ghalenoi is not the right person for this job. He needs to be replaced now to build for the future.
Additionally, the coaching staff for the 2012 Olympics team should be set now. This coaching staff should be responsible for the U17 team since the U17 players of today will be the U23 players of 2012.
3 – Foreign based players
The team needs a shakeup. In goalkeeping, we are in trouble. Rezai retired.
Players such as Hashemian and Enayati will be too old for the world cup and Karimi lost interest in the national team a few years ago after the friendly match against Germany. Zandi has not proven himself at any level (club or national team) for two years.
Keep the motivated and in-shape ones, like Nekunam, Taymourian, Kaebi and Kia. Then inject new blood by committing to the new inspired players like Kazemian, Shojai and Moabali. Finally, search for new talents from the league matches.
For years, playing in Europe guaranteed a starting position in the national team. For years, this system of selection failed.
Unless Iran begins investing now for 2010 and 2012 and unless Iran turns the current federation into a professional one, and unless a high caliber coaching staff is brought over, many more disappointments will be inline. The problems are numerous but they are not that complex. Complexity is made when relationships rule. For too many years, relationships have ruled in Iran’s football. It is time to “decide where we are going, in order to ensure we would get there.”
It is also time to find qualified drivers to get our football “there.”
Yogi Berra, the famous baseball player and a funny man once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you probably won’t get there.” Iran’s football and her leadership are in such state of confusion.
It is not clear where the Iranian football leadership would want to take the national teams of our football.
It is not understood who the Iranian football leaders are.
It is also not clear why poor performers are continuously rewarded with contracts and deals.
The past two years have been unkind to Iran’s football. Defeats at every level from the world cup to Asian championships were common. As of this writing, thirteen months after Daadkan was fired, Iran’s Football Federation (IFF) has no chief. The national team is led by a coach that demonstrated another poor quality performance on and off the field and he himself has become the poster child for “intolerance” when it comes to pointing problems and deficiencies in his management.
The fact that Ghalenoi was not fired after the Asian Cup is a clear statement that Iran’s football leadership is in denial and is more worried about the relationships than it is with the gamesmanship. In addition, the current model of bringing mostly European based players for the national team and throwing them into a tournament has proven unsuccessful time after time.
Steps to fix the current state of affairs in Iran’s football are not that complex. As always, it is the will of those in charge that would make all the difference. I have my set of few suggestions, focused around the national team, and they are listed below.
1 – Start with the plan
Every organization, corporation or entity, has a charter and a plan that defines goals and objectives of such unit. Iran’s football also needs to define her plans for every age level. For the next three years, Iran’s football objectives could be as simple as:
- Abide by FIFA’s rules and standards
- Meet the Asian standards of club ownerships and facilities for the eighteen teams in Iran’s premier league (the Persian Gulf Tournament)
- Qualify for the 2010 world cup
- Place in the top 3 of every age level tournament in Asia (national teams or club level)
- Win the 2011 Asian Cup
The above agenda is not outrageous. At Asian level, Iran used to routinely win championships. Iran spends tens of millions of dollars annually for football. Channeling some of the money into basic infrastructure for the top 18 clubs seems reasonable and doable.
2 – Bring a highly qualified foreign coaching staff for the national team
This is not an emotional issue. It is a statement of where Iranian football is and how it needs experts’ help.
Great football coaches do not come from Asia. In the 2007 Asian Cup, head coaches of the top four teams were non-Asians. The same was true in the Asian Cup of 2004.
In the 2006 world cup, the head coaches of all five teams representing Asian and Oceania were European or South American.
The new head of IFF, when selected, will have to make a commitment to invest for 2010. Dutch and Brazilian coaches have done well in Asia. Ghalenoi is not the right person for this job. He needs to be replaced now to build for the future.
Additionally, the coaching staff for the 2012 Olympics team should be set now. This coaching staff should be responsible for the U17 team since the U17 players of today will be the U23 players of 2012.
3 – Foreign based players
The team needs a shakeup. In goalkeeping, we are in trouble. Rezai retired.
Players such as Hashemian and Enayati will be too old for the world cup and Karimi lost interest in the national team a few years ago after the friendly match against Germany. Zandi has not proven himself at any level (club or national team) for two years.
Keep the motivated and in-shape ones, like Nekunam, Taymourian, Kaebi and Kia. Then inject new blood by committing to the new inspired players like Kazemian, Shojai and Moabali. Finally, search for new talents from the league matches.
For years, playing in Europe guaranteed a starting position in the national team. For years, this system of selection failed.
Unless Iran begins investing now for 2010 and 2012 and unless Iran turns the current federation into a professional one, and unless a high caliber coaching staff is brought over, many more disappointments will be inline. The problems are numerous but they are not that complex. Complexity is made when relationships rule. For too many years, relationships have ruled in Iran’s football. It is time to “decide where we are going, in order to ensure we would get there.”
It is also time to find qualified drivers to get our football “there.”