Taremi, Mohammadi and the stars waiting in Iran
The Portugese wrote a huge article about Taremi, Mohammadi, Queiroz, and the talent pool in Iran.
https://antoniotadeia.com/taremi-moh...spera-no-irao/
Mehdi Taremi didn't take long to make his mark in Portuguese football. Having jumped from the bench against FC Famalicão on Matchday 2, the starting debut in the following round at Vila do Conde against CD Aves gave the Iranian striker a dream display of three goals in 5 -1 from Rio Ave. On the other side of the field was compatriot Mehrdad Mohammadi, scorer of two goals in the first two rounds of the League, but that night in white. After Carlos Queiroz's work in charge of the Iranian national team, the football connection between the two countries has thus gained a special dimension, to the point that there are already some questioners as to whether Taremi and Mohammadi are thus some kind of Iranian Messi and Ronaldo or whether there are more stars like them. And there is, until there is. May be is not within reach of all wallets.
The Iranian market is not usually explored by Portuguese teams, but both Rio Ave and CD Aves seem to have hit the spotlight with the signings of Mehdi Taremi and Mehrdad Mohammadi. If many considered the hiring of Iranians as mere marketing scams - only Taremi has almost two and a half million followers on social networks, more than Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting, for example - the truth is that this season starts to count. a very different story. For those who know the market well, however, none of this is surprising.
The Portuguese coach Toni passed the Tabriz Tractor between 2012 and 2016 and lived closely with the reality of Iranian football. For the former Portuguese international and Benfica glory, the Iranian player is even the strongest player physically, technically and tactically from the Persian Gulf zone. And it reminds us that this is not even today, as Ali Daei and Ali Karimi, for example, had the impact on Bayern Munich, and were central to the titles won by the Bavarians during their time there. Also highlighting the quality of Amir Abedzadeh, goalkeeper of the Maritime, Toni who ends up attributing part of the current success to the work done by Carlos Queiroz in the Iranian team.
“As a result of Queiroz's work, Iran is the 21st country in the FIFA national team ranking and this is no accident. Of course it is because there is quality, but also because of the organization Queiroz brought to the country. At this point, Iran has already surpassed countries such as Japan, Korea and Australia, which historically have always had greater relevance than Iran, ”he tells us. "When Iran played against Portugal the quality of the Iranian player was seen, even though some supporters remained reticent."
The organization, or lack thereof, was one of the problems Toni faced when she came to Iranian football. “I have always referred to this issue. I debated this issue with the club a lot because there was a lot that was important to improve. Queiroz later came to help the organization a lot because in the selection trips there were always problems with bureaucratic issues, passports, permits, etc. ”.
For the Portuguese coach there is no shortage of players of great technical quality but, more than that, Toni emphasizes the work ability and professionalism of the Iranian players. “In terms of aptitude for football, it was apparent that it existed. From the point of view of work, work ability, they were very disciplined players. We have always received great receptivity from players regarding the training methods and tactical exercises we proposed to them. Taremi himself said for days that he already knew some exercises he was doing now with Carlos Carvalhal, in Rio Ave, from the time of the selection that he spent with Queiroz and that helps the adaptation ”.
Organizational issues are also highlighted by Luís Viegas, a Portuguese who is an analyst and head of the scouting department of True Bangkok United, of the Thai Division I, and therefore someone highly specialized in the Asian market and the football context of the area. Or if True Bangkok United did not face Iranian teams in continental competitions and, of course, know the Persian Gulf market thoroughly, for possible team reinforcement. “Iranian football suffers from political issues and cannot attract foreigners with the quality that would be justified. Because it is a league with many fans and has teams with many interesting players, not only from the point of view of talent. Iranians are usually knowledgeable about the game, tactical, and are very professional, responsible, have an excellent ethic. I worked here with Mehrdad Pooladi, who was at the Brazil World Cup, and was undoubtedly one of the most professional players I have ever met, ”says Viegas, a former journalist in Portugal.
Luís Viegas really outlines the great characteristics of Asian football: “It's a huge continent and the differences are naturally many. Despite divestment in the Emirates, Middle East football remains very strong in terms of organization and ability to attract top players, with Saudi Arabia standing out in recent years. Then we have China with a huge investment in both players and structures. Japan and South Korea are also very organized leagues, but in terms of individual quality Japan are currently ahead of Korea due to the almost non-existence of foreign coaches in Korea. In Southeast Asia, the Thai championship is the most organized and with the best quality structures, and in Vietnam the conditions are not so good, although there is a lot of individual talent. ”
Land of the talented and hardworking footballer
Toni shares the same idea, considering that the Iranian player is one of the most professional in the world and that part of the success of Taremi and Mohammadi in this early season goes through the personality of the Iranians as a people: “There are always issues related to the adaptation, but the Iranian people are a kind people and open to new experiences. It's funny that a few years ago, when I was on Tractor, there was a left-back 19-year-old who I thought I would tell Benfica to experience in Lisbon and evolve in Portugal. It had all the qualities to make. He was strong, fast, had excellent left foot, technical quality and I think he had all the capacity to end up imposing himself on Benfica. There was also a Bernardo Silva type player who is now at Persepolis, or another who came to Osasuna when Nekounam was there: Karim Ansarifard, who was a good striker for Portuguese football, for a team that likes to play. in transitions ”.
Toni welcomes the fact that bets on Taremi and Mohammadi are succeeding as this could open the door for the Iranian player in Portugal, something the coach greatly appreciates. And just don't be surprised that they are happening in Vila do Conde and Vila das Aves, because he considers that Rio Ave and CD Aves are guided by two high quality coaches, Carlos Carvalhal and Augusto Inácio. “They are in good hands,” he tells us. But leave a warning to navigation and to those who want to point batteries to Persian Gulf football: the Iranian player is a well paid player and may well be receiving half a million euros a year in Asian football.
Something Carlos Carvalhal himself mentioned at the end of the meeting between Rio Ave and CD Aves, in which Taremi scored three goals. For the Iranian striker to be there, it took a great deal of persuasion. “Taremi is here a little by accident. It wasn't a player we had the chance to get [for financial reasons]. It came from my persuasiveness and André Vilas-Boas [the former player, who is now Rio Ave's sporting director] and the great help of Carlos Queiroz and his translator. Because the player had to give up a lot of money to come to Rio Ave and to show up in Europe, ”said Carvalhal, after Rio Ave's rout against CD Aves.
Financial issues are, more than the cultural and linguistic barrier, the major obstacle to the betting of Portuguese clubs in the Persian Gulf market, as Luís Viegas also explains to us. For the former journalist of The Game, there is no shortage of players from that area who can emulate Taremi and Mohammadi's achievements and have an immediate impact on Portuguese football. “There are many more there. But many of them do not want to leave the comfort zone. Just look at the case of Omar Abdulrahman. He is a player with absurd talent, but has never left the Gulf and, as I know, was not for lack of offers. It depends on the ambition of the player. Taremi gave up a salary that would be somewhere between 80 and 100 thousand dollars a month to play in Portugal. If the player has this ambition to play in Europe, then these are bets that make perfect sense. Last year I went to see Hwang Ui-Jo at the Asian Games and we could even give him a higher salary than he has in Bordeaux, but in the end it weighed his desire to play in Europe. I think clubs in Portugal may not look at these markets so much for fear of adaptation, ”he tells us.
Sports jackpots in an unexplored market
Three matches in the Portuguese league and it seems safe to draw a successful profile for Taremi and Mohammadi. From Iran they really seem to have arrived two stars. But what to expect in the future of both? “Taremi is basically everything we saw against the Aves CD. A mobile striker, strong in combinatorial play and exploring depth. It is smart, has a very strong first touch and finishes very well. Mohammadi is a more vertical player, strong at 1 × 1, progressing with the ball. It is especially dangerous having space in the depth. In my opinion it is also very interesting, but Taremi is on another level. And the point is that for me Taremi is not even among the top three Iranian strikers today, ”says Luis Viegas.
One assessment, it is said, goes against what Carlos Carvalhal said at the end of the meeting with CD Aves, believing that Taremi, in particular, is a player for other flights: “Taremi is a very special forward. Has great finishing ability, has speed, unmarked ability, shows tranquility to play and is strong in air play. He is a great person and a very good selection player. He played against Portugal at the World Cup and, considering what he has abdicated to come, only shows character and the desire that he has, at 27, to succeed in football. You deserve what happened to you and what will happen to you all season long. He is a player for other flights, ”said the Rio Ave coach.
And who can be next? “It's been interesting to see the reactions through Twitter. The other day, GoalPoint's Hernâni Ribeiro mentioned some Asian players who would have a place in Portuguese football [Ehson Panjshanbe, Kim Yu-Song, Aziz Ganiev, Maung Maung Lwin, Mekan Saparow and Ali Madan]. From Iran, and not to mention those already in Europe, I refer to Ali Alipour and Amir Motahari. From Iraq Mohanad Ali and Mohannad Abdul-Raheem and from Saudi Arabia Haroune Camara. But there are several players of the zone with quality to play in Portugal ”, says Luis Viegas. “Just out of curiosity there is an Iranian who is currently a national team player and who was a few months in Portugal, in 2013/14, in Beira-Mar. But it was not subscribed. It's the Hossein Kanaani. At the time he came and another, Afshin, who was the only one to be entered. Kanaani needed another role and in the meantime the market closed down, ”he reminds us.
They are identified. Stick to them, Portuguese clubs. Then don't say we didn't warn you.
The Portugese wrote a huge article about Taremi, Mohammadi, Queiroz, and the talent pool in Iran.
https://antoniotadeia.com/taremi-moh...spera-no-irao/
Mehdi Taremi didn't take long to make his mark in Portuguese football. Having jumped from the bench against FC Famalicão on Matchday 2, the starting debut in the following round at Vila do Conde against CD Aves gave the Iranian striker a dream display of three goals in 5 -1 from Rio Ave. On the other side of the field was compatriot Mehrdad Mohammadi, scorer of two goals in the first two rounds of the League, but that night in white. After Carlos Queiroz's work in charge of the Iranian national team, the football connection between the two countries has thus gained a special dimension, to the point that there are already some questioners as to whether Taremi and Mohammadi are thus some kind of Iranian Messi and Ronaldo or whether there are more stars like them. And there is, until there is. May be is not within reach of all wallets.
The Iranian market is not usually explored by Portuguese teams, but both Rio Ave and CD Aves seem to have hit the spotlight with the signings of Mehdi Taremi and Mehrdad Mohammadi. If many considered the hiring of Iranians as mere marketing scams - only Taremi has almost two and a half million followers on social networks, more than Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting, for example - the truth is that this season starts to count. a very different story. For those who know the market well, however, none of this is surprising.
The Portuguese coach Toni passed the Tabriz Tractor between 2012 and 2016 and lived closely with the reality of Iranian football. For the former Portuguese international and Benfica glory, the Iranian player is even the strongest player physically, technically and tactically from the Persian Gulf zone. And it reminds us that this is not even today, as Ali Daei and Ali Karimi, for example, had the impact on Bayern Munich, and were central to the titles won by the Bavarians during their time there. Also highlighting the quality of Amir Abedzadeh, goalkeeper of the Maritime, Toni who ends up attributing part of the current success to the work done by Carlos Queiroz in the Iranian team.
“As a result of Queiroz's work, Iran is the 21st country in the FIFA national team ranking and this is no accident. Of course it is because there is quality, but also because of the organization Queiroz brought to the country. At this point, Iran has already surpassed countries such as Japan, Korea and Australia, which historically have always had greater relevance than Iran, ”he tells us. "When Iran played against Portugal the quality of the Iranian player was seen, even though some supporters remained reticent."
The organization, or lack thereof, was one of the problems Toni faced when she came to Iranian football. “I have always referred to this issue. I debated this issue with the club a lot because there was a lot that was important to improve. Queiroz later came to help the organization a lot because in the selection trips there were always problems with bureaucratic issues, passports, permits, etc. ”.
For the Portuguese coach there is no shortage of players of great technical quality but, more than that, Toni emphasizes the work ability and professionalism of the Iranian players. “In terms of aptitude for football, it was apparent that it existed. From the point of view of work, work ability, they were very disciplined players. We have always received great receptivity from players regarding the training methods and tactical exercises we proposed to them. Taremi himself said for days that he already knew some exercises he was doing now with Carlos Carvalhal, in Rio Ave, from the time of the selection that he spent with Queiroz and that helps the adaptation ”.
Organizational issues are also highlighted by Luís Viegas, a Portuguese who is an analyst and head of the scouting department of True Bangkok United, of the Thai Division I, and therefore someone highly specialized in the Asian market and the football context of the area. Or if True Bangkok United did not face Iranian teams in continental competitions and, of course, know the Persian Gulf market thoroughly, for possible team reinforcement. “Iranian football suffers from political issues and cannot attract foreigners with the quality that would be justified. Because it is a league with many fans and has teams with many interesting players, not only from the point of view of talent. Iranians are usually knowledgeable about the game, tactical, and are very professional, responsible, have an excellent ethic. I worked here with Mehrdad Pooladi, who was at the Brazil World Cup, and was undoubtedly one of the most professional players I have ever met, ”says Viegas, a former journalist in Portugal.
Luís Viegas really outlines the great characteristics of Asian football: “It's a huge continent and the differences are naturally many. Despite divestment in the Emirates, Middle East football remains very strong in terms of organization and ability to attract top players, with Saudi Arabia standing out in recent years. Then we have China with a huge investment in both players and structures. Japan and South Korea are also very organized leagues, but in terms of individual quality Japan are currently ahead of Korea due to the almost non-existence of foreign coaches in Korea. In Southeast Asia, the Thai championship is the most organized and with the best quality structures, and in Vietnam the conditions are not so good, although there is a lot of individual talent. ”
Land of the talented and hardworking footballer
Toni shares the same idea, considering that the Iranian player is one of the most professional in the world and that part of the success of Taremi and Mohammadi in this early season goes through the personality of the Iranians as a people: “There are always issues related to the adaptation, but the Iranian people are a kind people and open to new experiences. It's funny that a few years ago, when I was on Tractor, there was a left-back 19-year-old who I thought I would tell Benfica to experience in Lisbon and evolve in Portugal. It had all the qualities to make. He was strong, fast, had excellent left foot, technical quality and I think he had all the capacity to end up imposing himself on Benfica. There was also a Bernardo Silva type player who is now at Persepolis, or another who came to Osasuna when Nekounam was there: Karim Ansarifard, who was a good striker for Portuguese football, for a team that likes to play. in transitions ”.
Toni welcomes the fact that bets on Taremi and Mohammadi are succeeding as this could open the door for the Iranian player in Portugal, something the coach greatly appreciates. And just don't be surprised that they are happening in Vila do Conde and Vila das Aves, because he considers that Rio Ave and CD Aves are guided by two high quality coaches, Carlos Carvalhal and Augusto Inácio. “They are in good hands,” he tells us. But leave a warning to navigation and to those who want to point batteries to Persian Gulf football: the Iranian player is a well paid player and may well be receiving half a million euros a year in Asian football.
Something Carlos Carvalhal himself mentioned at the end of the meeting between Rio Ave and CD Aves, in which Taremi scored three goals. For the Iranian striker to be there, it took a great deal of persuasion. “Taremi is here a little by accident. It wasn't a player we had the chance to get [for financial reasons]. It came from my persuasiveness and André Vilas-Boas [the former player, who is now Rio Ave's sporting director] and the great help of Carlos Queiroz and his translator. Because the player had to give up a lot of money to come to Rio Ave and to show up in Europe, ”said Carvalhal, after Rio Ave's rout against CD Aves.
Financial issues are, more than the cultural and linguistic barrier, the major obstacle to the betting of Portuguese clubs in the Persian Gulf market, as Luís Viegas also explains to us. For the former journalist of The Game, there is no shortage of players from that area who can emulate Taremi and Mohammadi's achievements and have an immediate impact on Portuguese football. “There are many more there. But many of them do not want to leave the comfort zone. Just look at the case of Omar Abdulrahman. He is a player with absurd talent, but has never left the Gulf and, as I know, was not for lack of offers. It depends on the ambition of the player. Taremi gave up a salary that would be somewhere between 80 and 100 thousand dollars a month to play in Portugal. If the player has this ambition to play in Europe, then these are bets that make perfect sense. Last year I went to see Hwang Ui-Jo at the Asian Games and we could even give him a higher salary than he has in Bordeaux, but in the end it weighed his desire to play in Europe. I think clubs in Portugal may not look at these markets so much for fear of adaptation, ”he tells us.
Sports jackpots in an unexplored market
Three matches in the Portuguese league and it seems safe to draw a successful profile for Taremi and Mohammadi. From Iran they really seem to have arrived two stars. But what to expect in the future of both? “Taremi is basically everything we saw against the Aves CD. A mobile striker, strong in combinatorial play and exploring depth. It is smart, has a very strong first touch and finishes very well. Mohammadi is a more vertical player, strong at 1 × 1, progressing with the ball. It is especially dangerous having space in the depth. In my opinion it is also very interesting, but Taremi is on another level. And the point is that for me Taremi is not even among the top three Iranian strikers today, ”says Luis Viegas.
One assessment, it is said, goes against what Carlos Carvalhal said at the end of the meeting with CD Aves, believing that Taremi, in particular, is a player for other flights: “Taremi is a very special forward. Has great finishing ability, has speed, unmarked ability, shows tranquility to play and is strong in air play. He is a great person and a very good selection player. He played against Portugal at the World Cup and, considering what he has abdicated to come, only shows character and the desire that he has, at 27, to succeed in football. You deserve what happened to you and what will happen to you all season long. He is a player for other flights, ”said the Rio Ave coach.
And who can be next? “It's been interesting to see the reactions through Twitter. The other day, GoalPoint's Hernâni Ribeiro mentioned some Asian players who would have a place in Portuguese football [Ehson Panjshanbe, Kim Yu-Song, Aziz Ganiev, Maung Maung Lwin, Mekan Saparow and Ali Madan]. From Iran, and not to mention those already in Europe, I refer to Ali Alipour and Amir Motahari. From Iraq Mohanad Ali and Mohannad Abdul-Raheem and from Saudi Arabia Haroune Camara. But there are several players of the zone with quality to play in Portugal ”, says Luis Viegas. “Just out of curiosity there is an Iranian who is currently a national team player and who was a few months in Portugal, in 2013/14, in Beira-Mar. But it was not subscribed. It's the Hossein Kanaani. At the time he came and another, Afshin, who was the only one to be entered. Kanaani needed another role and in the meantime the market closed down, ”he reminds us.
They are identified. Stick to them, Portuguese clubs. Then don't say we didn't warn you.
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