The issue of Omid team performance and the coaching standards of the team has been raised in the technical committee of Iranian football federation.
Hossein Kalani, a member of the Football Federation’s Technical Committee said that in the past two weeks, there has been several discussions on the dismissal of the Omid team head coach, the Croat Zlatko Kranjcar.
in an interview with ISNA, Kalani commented on the rumors circulating around Krancjar’s fate and his imminent dismissed from coaching Iran’s Olympic Team (Omid) : “I have heard this as well like the rest. However, as I was sick and resting at home because of the illness, I was unable to attend several meetings of the technical committee.”
“but earlier, there was talk of such intention because Krancjar did not meet the required expectations. We were quite lucky to qualify for the next round. The players did their best, but that draw against Iraq which had better goal difference, put us in the second place in the group. If one of other teams scored a goal or two extra in the final matches of the Asian groups, we would have been eliminated.”
He continued, “There was some lack of cooperation and coordination between Krancjar and his own assistants. There was a clear disconnect in the coaching team. I think there was some negotiation with Krancjar to release him. This decision was probably taken at a technical committee meeting that I did not attend.”
Kalani denied any knowledge of Javad Nekounam being considered as Kranjcar replacement.”“I do not have any knowledge of this subject.”
As an ex Team Melli player and one of the legends of Iranian football, Kalani is a prominent member of the federation’s technical committee, yet he is unaware of crucial and important decisions made by that committee. He can only guess what has been decided in the meetings that he did not attend !!!
Commenting further “in Iran, there are foreign coaches like Branko who are successful and Persepolis feels proud of him, There are other foreign coaches as will that have succeed in other teams,” he said.
“However, we have virtually never received positive feedback and results from the presence of foreign coaches. I have always said that if we provide the same working conditions, perks and facilitates afforded to foreign coaches, to our local coaches, we will get 100% better results. Most of the honors in our football history have been achieved by our own Iranian coaches, some of whom never even had coaching certificates nor attended coaching classes. “
“The familiarity of the Iranian coach with the culture and language and hence, the ability to communicate instruction, plans and objectives to the players is one of the most important issues that must be considered. The Iranian coach recognizes the emotions of his players. The national team has always consisted with the best players, and they do not need to teach them basic football issues and high tactics. The most important thing is psychological issues.”
Kalani is one of very few prominent people in Iran that is clean shaven and wears a tie in public or official meetings in a country that one can be easily considered as outcast , labeled as westernized and accused of being anti-Islamic for that. He is western educated and a successful businessman in his own right.