Another Team Melli player has learned about professionalism, the hard way.

Karim Ansarifard, the young and promising Perspolis player has been snapped up by Tractorsazi Tabriz club after Ali Daei told his protégé that he is not wanted in Perspolis anymore.

Karim Ansarifard , had a dispute with the club centered around the contract payment. Ansarifard demanded an advanced payment in lieu of signing the new contract, which the club refused to accept. Ansarifard , lowered the percentage of the advance payment , but Perspolis would not entertain his demand fearing that other players would demand the same. During all this period of dispute, Ansarifard refused to report for training, which was started earlier than usual by team coach Ali Daei. Eventually when Ansarifard found the going tough , he accepted Perspolis club offer and was ready to sing the renewal of the contract, however , the situation has changed. His long absence from training, rendered him unusable by Daei, Ansarifard missed three weeks of workout. His inclusion in the team would have disrupted the rhythm of the team, according to Daei. The young hero suddenly found himself a persona non grata at his club.

It was only question of time before the young gun would find a club. Ansarifard is the second ex-Perspolis player that Tractorsazi has recruited this season after the acquiring the services of Ali Karimi.

Daei , the former Team Melli coach and the current Perspolis head coach, has written a new chapter in Iranian football culture by his action towards Karim Ansarifard. The Ardabil born player was one of the discoveries of none other Ali Daei himself and under his direction and supervision, the young striker advances remarkably to reach Team Melli and eventually join one of the top teams in Iran.

In a country where lack of discipline is rife amongst the players, coaches and management, meddling and intrusion in each other’s jobs is conventional, it was very much expected that the “Well doers” clan will start meddling in Daei’s decision by advising him to take back Ansarifard. In Iran’s football, the “Well doers” are a plenty. They could be anyone from the guard at the gate of the training ground all the way up to members of the Parliament. They are very opinionated lot who seem to know it and know the best of every football matter. It was a very interesting situation and a real test for Daei’s strong character. Whether he succumbs to peer and public pressure, or will he stand his ground like any respectable professional person , was a matter that many experts were waiting to hear the result of. Will he do a Carlos Queiroz act and risk leaving two influential and senior players from Team Melli (Aghili & Rahmati) because of disciplinary matters, or will Ali Daei just yields to pressure created by all the interferences, the begging , the pleading and all that jazz?.

 Finally, Daei’s approach prevailed. That is a milestone in Iran’s football; a small one perhaps but a significant one nevertheless. It has been a hard lesson for several Team Melli players and an eye opener for most of them. The way professionalism works, might not please some individual players, but it surely enhances the team organization and standard.