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Milad Kor suspended for 1 year due to crtisicm of FFIRI and U20 team coach

Milkad Kor, one of the pillars of the Iran U20 team that has failed to qualify beyond the quarter-final after losing to the finalist Iraq, has been given a heavy-handed suspension by the FFIRI for daring to speak out against the Federation and lack of support for the U20 team in AFC Asian Cup U20 that was held in Uzbekistan.

MIlad Kor , Tractor’s defender was suspended from all football activities by the Disciplinary Committee of FFIRI. He was also handed a heft fine payable to the federation.

Interestingly, unlike the rest of the world, this federation did NOT mention why the player, one of Iran’s better future prospects, has been given such a heavy sentence and whether he was allowed to defend himself against any supposed allegations. The tyrannical sentence is in line with the regime’s complete intolerance of its system including expression of thought that is published in a publication under government control. There is no independent journalism in Iran. Amazingly not one of the Iranian news and sports publications that published the news of Kor’s ban attempted to seek an explanation or question the FFIRI. All of them just copied and pasted the FFIRI disciplinary committee’s notice which was published on the federation’s own website!!

In the longish interview with ‘Hamshahri; newspaper, Kor’s main criticism was directed at Samad Marfavi, the team’s coach, and the lack of support by the federation. There were no bonuses paid to the players, he claims. Kor was also critical for the team’s management’s refusal to use the swimming pool for recovery like the rest of the teams because the pool was mixed and there could be girls swimming too!  While the defender had some praise for Mirshad Majedi, he was quite scathing of Marfavi’s behavior and discriminatory acts among the players in the squad.

Meanwhile, Kor and for the first time said that the players were just about to go on strike and refuse to take part in training before the Iraq game because of the indifference of the management towards their demands.  ” In the Vietnam game, we were determined to do our best to prove ourselves and we got what we wanted, but in the Iraq game, we had no motivation. Some players did not have money to buy shoes and took loans to buy them. Some players did not have a club to play for as such they had no income. The whole situation transpired into a toxic atmosphere. We were mentally in a terrible state plus we really never had proper recovery exercise before the match with Iraq” Milad Kor said in the interview.

Hamshari reporter asked Kor “What was the story of not going to the swimming pool?” to which Kor replied ” They didn’t allow us the use of the swimming pool because there were girls in there! Well,  if this is the case, why bother forming a team when basic requirements cannot be entertained? Our bodies were fatigued half destroyed and yet we were deprived of cool water. Excuse me, but this is no back alley team that does not have such facilities and if there are ones, you are not allowed to use them.”

“In Tehran, Marfavi was not in a good mood at all since he had not received his money from the federation, he did not even come to the airport to see us off. Later, after he got his money, he joined the team. But he did not lend support to the demands of players’ bonuses. If a head coach wants the good of a player, he needs to stand by him, but this gentleman was selfish. We finished first in the group of death and had an easy quarter-final draw. Iraq also plays like us and its style of play was like ours. But we had no motivation, we were empty from the beginning of the game. I used to say that I wish we were in Iran and called several people and told them to at least bring supplements. “

“A whole generation was wasted. Our generation was golden and by the grace of my mother, we could have won the Asian championship and won the World Cup or at least advanced from the group, but they wasted our generation, with their incompetent hands. We beat Vietnam and became the group leader, but…”

The 19 years old player who is born in Bandar Torkaman, is fully supported by his club Tractor which intends to file a strong appeal against the harsh suspension.

Esteghlal out of AFC Champions League !

The never-ending saga of humiliation of Iranian football hit another low when Esteghlal one of the two bipolar clubs of Iran was kicked out of the AFC Champions League competition for the second season in a row after failing to comply with the competition’s regulations and maintaining its professional status.

The club which is owned and managed by the Government of Iran has failed to submit proof of compliance in time plus the failure of the club to settle a dispute with a former Italian coach, Andrea Stramaccioni. In November 2020, The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) ordered Esteghlal to pay 1,350,000 euros to its former coach Andrea Stramaccioni. The Italian coach had a very brief, but eventful, spell at Esteghlal from June to December 2019.

The AFC’s decision to exclude Esteghlal from this season’s AFC Champions League was a bitter pill to swallow not only among its own huge supporters base but also among the rest of the Iranian fans. Many experts believe it is a warning sign for football in general as incompetent management and the derelict hierarchy at the top have become a recipe for a disaster negatively affecting every corner of Iranian football.

 The main culprit of this event is the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the authority which is directly responsible for Esteghlal and Persepolis including the appointment of their chairmen and board members plus, more importantly, the full financial backing.

Regardless of who was and is the CEO of Esteghlal, the club needed money to be able to solve problems including the payment and contractual obligation to staff members, players, and coaches. Promises were also given to Fathollahzadeh, who was recently appointed as the boss of the club and is reported to have accepted this responsibility on the condition of full financial support from the ministry and the clearing of all debts. That is another regrettable aspect of Iran’s football politics, false promises and outright lies which are quite common all across.

The ministry, however, turned its back on Esteghlal, an organization that has no other means of generating revenue in a country where the official broadcaster refuses to pay broadcast rights on national TV. The ambivalence and procrastination by the authorities in solving the problem have caused the fans to be more upset and more vocal with the officials of the Ministry of Sports. This issue has made them take a stand against the culprits in the stands of Azadi stadium where chants against the ministry and the government were repeatedly and frequently heard.

Currently, Esteghlal is coached by Portuguese coach Ricardo Sá Pinto. The two times winner of the older version of the AFC top club competition is still in the title run with a close contest from Sepahan and Persepolis, however, the Portuguese have not been paid for many months and despite his professionalism, at one stage, he like the rest of foreign coaches, will draw the line and calls it a quit. It is a familiar pattern in Iran’s football.

The coaches then file a case with FIFA and almost all such cases end up with the Iranian sides losing and paying hefty fines on top of all the dues for the coaches.

A vicious circle that, unfortunately, has no sign of ending.

Management issues are slowly but surely destroying the very essence of Iran’s football. A pride footballing nation that has achieved everything in Asian football including an unprecedented three consecutive times winning the Asian Cup, qualification to the Olympics (3+1), and winning four Asian Youth titles. That was all before the revolution though

The last time Iran won the Asian Cup was in 1976 (47 years)

The last time Iran won the Asian Youth Cup (U20)  was in 1976 (47 years)

The last time Iran qualified for the Olympics football competition was in 1980 (43 years)

The saving grace remains Team Melli’s excellent record in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.

How is Team Melli under Ghalenoei?

With one win and a draw already under his belt, Ardashir (Amir) Ghalenoei seems to have started well in his second term with Team Melli.  The nucleus of the previous team is still intact as Ghalenoei used most of the players who qualified Iran for the world cup under Dragan Skocic and then briefly in the World Cup finals, under Carlos Queiroz. However, the addition of several new players and the return of previous ones has given a slightly different shape to the same team.

Overall, Team Melli played delightful football in both matches, despite some shortfalls that need to be worked upon by the coaching team. The passing of the ball, finding spaces, defensive coverage, crosses from flanks, and counterattacks were all carried out to acceptable to good standards. The shortfalls were in the poor finishing, final ball delivery, mental agility, and the chronic shortfall of Iranian players, general slowness. While modern football demands quick and swift thinking by footballers, Iranian players seem to take extra seconds to make such moves.

 

The match against Kenya was particularly worrying in the sense that the Iranian players could not physically match the Kenyan team! The African players won most of the one-to-one tackles which mostly ended up with the Iranian hitting the lawn with both arms raised up in protests to no avail. Physical strength and body build have always been one of the better attributes of Iranian footballers throughout the years. It is important to keep that up, especially against stronger teams. It is also important by Ghalenoei to instill some discipline and discourage play-acting.

Although not much can be read from the two matches, and not much can be presumed from Ghaleoei’s public statements, it seems that a fresh mentality is going to dominate Team Melli’s playing style. Under eight years and something, Team Melli fans were exposed to the dour defensive-minded style of Carlos Queiroz. Ghaleoei has a different mindset and we do hope it is aimed toward more attractive football that appeals to the fan but of course, not to the detriment of results. Offensive footballs require such tools as gameplans with several options and competent skillful players to finish the moves. On the face of it, Team Melli has players up front that play in the highest standard leagues such as Azmoun, Taremi, and Sayyadmanish with the newer generation players such as  Amir Hossein HOSSEINZADEH and Arya BARZAGAR waiting for their chances.

These players have proved time and again their worth.  It is up to the Ghalenoei to utilize the skills of such talents. There is a small problem with finishing for Taremi, perhaps he is experiencing a down in his performance, but he and his teammates cannot be so wasteful and profligate as they have shown in these two matches.

There are no shortages of talent on the defensive line and the goalkeepers, so that is the least of the worries.

The biggest challenge for Ghalenoei remains the midfield. It is the line where the forwards must receive quality and timely service in order to finish the job. The present complexion of the midfield is not so hopeful. Unfortunately, Jahanbakhsh who mainly operates mainly as a winger has been facing form degradation recently with erratic performances. Ezzarollahi seems to have stagnated and his value remains on the defensive side, Ali Gholizadeh is one of the better players that Ghalneoi may focus on for the offensive side, Nourollahi is another player whose value varies between one match and another. Saman Ghoddos came with such promise, but he is yet to deliver consistently. Team Melli has no midfielder that can take the game by the scruff of the neck. There is no such player in the current generation of footballers, unfortunately.

So, the lack of creative, quality, and consistently good midfield players will remain Amir Ghalenoei’s biggest challenge.

One bright side of the two matches was the introduction of Sepahan’s midfielder Mohammas Karimi. Hardly a household name in Iran, the former U20 Team Melli player, performed very well in the first half and was one of the few good players while he was on the field. There seems to be a player that can serve Team Melli well if given the chance. In the contrast, his club teammate Moghanlou was utterly wasteful, out of place, and at times, lost in the lineup of Team Melli in both matches. No doubt he played and scored well with his club, but in the two matches at an international level, he remains way out of place.

First win for Team Melli and Ghalenoei

Team Melli defeated Kenya 2-1 in an international friendly in Azadi on Tuesday evening in front of approximately 25,000 fans with a large contingent of females in a special section of the aging stadium. The first goal of the match was scored by Michael Olunga in ( 51’), Iran equalized through Mohammad Mohebbi (76′), and the winner was scored by Ramin Rezaeian (84′)

This was the second match under the leadership of recently appointed coach Amir Ghalenoei who opted for a few changes from that match against Russia. In came Mohammad Karimi as a defensive midfielder and Armin Sohrabian in the defense line for their debut match for Team Melli. Alireza Jahanbakhsh made the starting line up too.

Rozbeh Cheshmi replaced Shojaa KhalilZadeh to partner Kananizadegan in the heart of the defense.

 

GOALS

51st minute: Kenya started the scoring when Captain Michael Olunga cleverly disposed of Armin Sohrabian on the right flank and ran towards the goal with Kanaizadegan the only player between him and the Hosseini in goal. Olunga who plays his football with Al Duhail of Qatar cleverly shot past his marker and into the far corner of Hosseini to register a beautiful goal in the 51st minute.

76th minute: Iran’s equalizer came through an immaculate assist by Ramin Rezaeian, whose perfect free kick was met by Mohammad Mohebbi to head into the empty net with the Kenyan keeper stranded in the other corner.

84th minute: Iran’s winner came late in the match when Rezaeian worked himself nicely into the box and shot at an acute angle with Masani in Kenya’s goal helping the ball cross the line.

 

PERFORMANCE:

In the first half, Team Melli was far from the high standard of the last match against a much stronger team in Russia. The overconfidence, evidence in some showboating, the poor discipline, and alarming wastefulness in which the team played showed that Amir Ghalenoei has a lot on his hand to build a formidable team.

There were quite a few bad performances from the like of Taremi, Jahanbakhsh, and particularly Moghanlou. In the contrast, the debutant Mohammad Karimi was a breath of fresh air with his passing, tackling, and self-confidence.

In the second half, the goal scored by Kenya shocked Iran to the spine. Ghalenoei had to embark with a few substitutions which slowly but surely ensured that Team Melli comes out from this difficult match as the winner although it was a cesarean win.

MAN OF THE MATCH MVP

 

Despite playing in the second half, Rezaeian made a lot of difference as he defended and attacked at well from the left flank. He assisted the first goal while scoring the second. He remains one of the few reliable and dependable players of the old team who will undoubtedly be an asset to Ghalenoei.

THE DUISSPAONTMENTS.

Mehdi Taremi is going through a rough time both at the club and country levels. It is probably the curse of the World Cup. His performance against Kenya was rusty, profligate, and uncertain. Jahabnbakjsh is also another player that is finding it hard to repeat his fine standards of a few years back. Although some excuse may be given for the fact that he is recovering from an illness. Every player selected for a national team is scrutinized analyzed and given thorough tests before selection. That is a forgone conclusion, however, the selection is Shahriyar Moghanlou is an enigma! Although his record with Sepahan is not that bad, in the two matches he played so far and was given a lot of minutes by Ghalenoei, this forward has shown nothing to suggest that he is even an average bench player for Team Melli let alone a starter. Could it be a psychological hurdle or something else? Whatever the case, his case needs to be seriously reconsidered with so many promising young players waiting in the wings for their chances.

ATTITUDES, AGAIN

Once again Team Melli players showed a certain lack of discipline and discipline that cost them a gaol and perhaps could have cost them the match. The constant falling to the ground for the slightest of contacts has become a trend in Iranian football. Sohrabian was guilty of losing his balance and then waving for a foul in the event that led to the Kenya goal. However, the culprit of the match was Mohammad Mohebbi who fell to the ground in at least 5 tackles, of which the referee only whistled for him once only. Although Taremi, is so famous for simulation in Portugal, in fairness did not resort to this in today’s match, this trend championed by Mehdi Taremi is highly criticized in Portuguese media. Unfortunately, it is quietly glorified by Iranian media labeling such antics as smart and wins penalties for his team.

Mesigar crowned Most Valuable Player of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023

Pattaya: Moslem Mesigar was selected the Most Valuable Player of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023 on Sunday.
Mesigar was instrumental throughout the campaign which saw Iran defeat Japan 6-0 in the final on Sunday to lift a record-equalling third title.
“Since our first day, our team has been striving together towards a single goal which is to win the title,” said Mesigar, who scored eight goals in the tournament. “Through the hard work and total dedication from everyone we managed to achieve it.
“I’m happy that we achieved this milestone which took four years in the making. We owe this win to all the Iranian supporters, the Iran Beach Soccer Federation. After this, our focus is to compete at the highest level at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2023.”
The veteran 38 years old Captain of the Beach Soccer Team Melli, has scored some spectacular goals in this tournament. In addition, he has proved to be a competent leader with years of experience under his belt. Born in the Persian Gulf port of Bushehr, Mesigar plays for the city’s DaryaNavardan Bushehr club.

Iran routs Japan in the finals of AFC beach Soccer Asian Cup 2023

Pattaya: Iran were at their awesome best as they defeated Japan 6-0 in the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023 final at the Jomtien Beach Arena on Sunday.
The win saw Iran draw level with Japan on three titles each, with both teams now casting their eyes on preparing for the FIFA Beach Soccer World UAE 2023 in November.
It was a tense start with neither team allowing the other space but it was Iran who had the first look on goal with Amir Akbari sending his overhead kick just above the bar.
Despite Japan’s man-marking, Iran scored the opening goal in spectacular fashion when Movahed Mohammadpour collected a long pass from keeper Seyedmahdi Mirjajili before finishing acrobatically in the fourth minute.
Japan struggled to find their footing and suffered another setback in the eighth minute with Mirjajili the orchestrator again when he set up Ali Mirshekari for another acrobatic finish leaving Shinya Shibamoto well beaten.
Three-time champions Japan came alive in the 11h minute with Takaaki Oba threatening with an overhead effort before Shibamoto’s long-range drive forced a fingertip save from Mirjajili.
Japan were missing the attacking play which had seen them breeze to the final and had no answer to Iran’s aggression when they conceded again in the 20th minute after Mirjajili’s throw was deflected by Movahed to an unmarked Moslem Mesigar to slam the ball home.
The East Asian side almost found a way through with Takuya Akaguma seeing his shot graze the bar before Ozu skied his free-kick in the closing stages, leaving them with a mountain to climb heading into the break.
Iran piled more misery on Japan in the 29th minute when Shibamoto was dispossessed in his own area by Mohammadali Mokhtari before slotting home the fourth into an empty goalmouth.
Iran furthered their advantage in the 35th minute following an own goal by Japan’s Kosuke Matsuda before Mirshekari added the sixth with seconds left on the clock to seal the win and clinch their third title.

The dilapidated Azadi stadium is in danger!

The unsafe conditions of the facilities and the tribunes of Azadi Stadium has been a topic that has been discussed umpteen times by the Iranian sports press, now it is the turn of the guest and this time the Russians to see from close the dangers facing anyone going to the stadium.

While the national Russian football team played a friendly in Iran, it was an opportunity for the  Russian media to get a close look at the sporting facilities and in particular the grand old Azadi Stadium to report on the state of this stadium. Azadi Stadium, which is in its worst condition with the local media repeatedly warning about the dangers and its insecurity, has now become the subject of Russian media. In a report, the ‘championat’ news site discussed the conditions of Azadi Stadium for the match between Iran and Russia and wrote about the bad conditions of this stadium: “When you enter Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, you have a strange feeling. A beautiful trophy greets you upon entering the stadium, although it looks very out of place here; Especially considering the dilapidated state of the stadium. It has been raining in Iran for the past few days. You enter a room under the stands and water is dripping from the ceiling. To be honest, water flows everywhere in this stadium. It seems like the arena is about to be destroyed.”

The “destruction” of Azadi Stadium is a prediction that the local media have been talking about for a long time. Now the voices of the Russians have come out and they have emphasized that water leakage from everywhere from ceilings in the rooms below the uncovered stands. Amazingly these observations by the Russian guests occurred despite the fact that there was no rain on the day of the match between Iran and Russia, and these waters have accumulated from the last two previous days.

Azadi Stadium has been neglected for many years. Signs of dilapidation and decay are everywhere from the cement stands that fans use as weapons to throw on the field to the washrooms, to the offices and properties that are below or at the ground level of the stadium.  The worrying question is whether the officials in charge of this great facility will act in time before a disaster occurs and people lose their lives. History tells us that public safety is not the top priority in Iram=n.

Azadi Stadium is 52 years old and opened as the Aryamehr Stadium.  The stadium was ordered to be built by the late Shah of Iran with eyes on the Asian Games of 1974.  It was inaugurated on 17 October 1971 by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi,

Iran draws with Russia in a friendly.

Team Melli tied Russia 1-1 on Thursday at the Azadi Stadium. Both goals came from penalties scored by Anton Miranchuk ( 28′) for the Russians, while Mehdi Taremi leveled with his penalty at the beginning of the second half.

It was quite a decent start for Amir Ghalenoei in his return to the Team Melli bench after 15 years from his first stint. Iran was the better team in both halves and dominated the games for a long time. It was Mehdi Taremi and his teammates who deprived Iran of a deserved win with wastefulness and some erratic final shooting. Moghanlou, Mohebbi were also guilty of missing golden opportunities.

Russia was neither short of practice nor individual skills and the sanction imposed against the Russian athletes does not seem to have affected their performance. Valery Karpin seems to have a good job with the domestic league players. There were some delightful moves from the guests in Azadi and some quick counters, however, Iran was solid at the back, and the combination of central defenders, Khaikzadeh and Kananizadegan, who were the key defenders in qualifying Iran for the World Cup, were forming a formidable front to protect Beiranvand goal.

It was a clumsy challenge by Ezzatollahi that cost Iran a penalty.

With Azmoun absent, Mohammad Mohebbi and the debutant Shariyar Moghanlou filled in to support Taremi. However, despite the support from the flanks especially from Ramin Rezaeian, the forwards failed to turn those chances to goals. Moghanlou had a debut to forget.

Overall, it was quite a good challenge for Ghalenoei as he becomes more familiar with the players and the roles they can fill in.

Next will be Kenya, a lighter opponent but a physically strong team.

Andranik Teymourian joins Team Melli coaching staff.

Amir Ghalnoei has recruited the former Team Melli captain,  Andranik Teymourian as an assistant coach joining the coaching staff today.

Teymourian was introduced to the players by the Ghalenoei before the training started today thus starting his coaching career in the national team.

Before this, Rahman Rezaei, one of the former players of the national team with the experience of playing in the World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup, was added to the staff of Amir Ghalenoui, but Rezaei, for reason not declared, did not turn up for the first training session and then subsequently turned down the job. Amir Ghalenoei went to Teymourian, who was one of his players in the national team of Iran and Esteghlal. Team Melli is currently in camp and preparing for two friendly matches with Russia and Kenya.

Iran v Russia Match preview

Team Melli team will play a friendly match against the national squad of Russia on March 23 in Tehran.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 p.m. local time on Thursday (tomorrow)

IRAN

This will be the first Team Melli team under the newly appointed Head Coach Amir Ghalnoei. The former Esteghlal player and coach, has won many titles with Esteghla and Sepahan, however, his brief stint with Team Melli back in 2007, was not up to expectations as he resigned after elimination from the AFC Asian Cup quarter-finals.

Despite the expectation, the squad picked for the matches vs Russia and Kenya in six days’ time, still consists of players of the age of 30   seven (7 players are 30 years and over) while only 2 players are at the age 20 or below. That does not sound like Ghalenoei is going all out to rejuvenate the team. Of course, he needs time to do that and his selection of over 7 uncapped players is an indication that he is going for some kind of tactical and personnel changes.

Ghalenoei has declared that the fans need to see beautiful football. It remains to be seen if he is going to do anything about that after 8 years of bland defensive football of Carlos Queiroz.  Under the Portuguese coach, Iran was subjected to an embarrassing 6-2 defeat against England in the World Cup.

There are several players missing in Team Melli the most significant of them is Sardar Azmoun. However, with Taremi in excellent form in Porto, the absence of Azmoun will be mitigated. The rest of the lineup should see some changes too as Ghalenoei will surely be looking at options against a strong opponent.

RUSSIA

Russia is a team in turmoil. Politics has harmed the team with sanctions barring the Russian football team from participating in all football activities. Still, they have managed to play some friendlies lately. Last year, the Russian national football team played three friendly football matches, namely against Kyrgyzstan in September (2-1) and against Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in November (both matches ended in scoreless draws).

Iran will be a powerful opponent, especially at home, in which the Russian team has to be at its best.  It is not known how many changes in the team will Head coach Valeri Karpin embark on for this match. Karpin who was appointed on 26 July 2021 had lost 1 match in 10 so far, so his record is quite good with Russia. who also has another match against Iraq in St. Petersburg.

None of the current squad plays outside Russia.

Russian Football Union (RFU) President Alexander Dyukov announced in late November 2022 that, in light of the barring of Russia’s national teams and football clubs from UEFA and FIFA competitions, the RFU was looking at joining the Asian Football Confederation.

H / A / N Matches W D L Goals + / –
H 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 +0
A 1 0 1 0 1 – 1 +0
N 1 1 0 0 1 – 0 +1
Total 2 1 1 0 2 – 1 +1
Date Comp. H / A / N Final score Stadium Attendance
10.10.2017 Friendly A 1 – 1 Kazan Arena, Kazan 33270
09.02.2011 Friendly N 1 – 0 Zayed Sport City , Abu Dhabi 23000

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