With exactly 4 weeks to go for the crucial FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers match in Doha against Qatar , The Iranian football federations FFIRI has requested the travel documents of Team Melli players, including Esteghlal, to process visa application.

However, Persepolis club was not approached by the FFIRI to send their Team Melli player’s documentation which rekindled the fear that Carlos Queiroz will stick to his threat to exclude all Persepolis players from Team Melli!

Currently, Persepolis with 7 players has the highest number of Team Melli internationals. Persepolis has just returned from Muscat after playing their first AFC Champions league match against Al Hilal in Muscat. That match ended in a 1-1 draw.

 Queiroz who has banned several plyers from joining Team Melli for life,  seems to be repeating the same but this time with 7 players at once and due to no fault of the players who are victims of a conflict between club and team Melli coaches!

Queiroz verbal war and heated exchanges with Branko Ivankovic , Current Persepolis coach and ex-Team Melli head coach resulted in the Portuguese coach to prematurely cancel the Team Melli Training camp in Dubai, but not before sending all the Persepolis contingent home as a sign of defiance !

“Queiroz’s temperament and his past track record in acting eccentrically, is putting the interest of Team Melli and Iran’s football in general at a high risk.” Said one of the football experts who was a former employee of FFIRI, and wished to remain anonymous. “Iran is only one point ahead of the rivals and not in unassailable position. Qatar is still desperately seeking a few valuable points in the hope of at least a third place finish if not better.  One of the spots for the finals means a lot for our next opponent Qatar. That alone makes them a strong challenge. If Queiroz threat is materialized, then this petulant act will perhaps mean a repeat of Mayeli-Kohan’s misadventure in 1997.”

This was a reference to the dogmatic attitude of Team Melli coach in the World Cup 98 qualifiers where Mayeli-Kohan left Daei out of the squad because of some personal dispute and lost to Qatar 2-0 in Doha missing direct qualification that was on hand. The coach was sacked on his return to Tehran.

Repeat of Maylei-Kohan 97 will most certainly not result in the firing of Queiroz, which many believe he is aiming to achieve. Queiroz has resigned umpteen times, but in every case it was rejected by FFIRI. The only way out is for him to be sacked by FFIRI and subsequently get a handsome compensation for the dismissal.

In this cat and mouse game, it is Iran’s football and in particular the qualification to FIFA World Cup 2018 that is put in jeopardy.

Persepolis players in Team Melli

1. AMIRI, Vahid
2. ANSARI, Mohammad
3. BIRANVAND, Alireza
4. HOSSEINI, Jalal
5. KAMYABINIA, Kamaleddin
6. REZAEIAN, Ramin
7. TAREMI, Mehdi

Recent addition

RAFEI, Soroush