Category: World Cup 2018

TEAM MELLI PLAYERS: Market Value

As the World Cup approaches, players values in the market fluctuates and is highly dependent on their performance on the field.

The latest Market Values for Team Melli players are listed here

 

PLAYER AGE MARKET VALUE
Sardar Azmoun 23 9,000,000 €
Alireza Jahanbakhsh 24 8,000,000 €  
Karim Ansarifard 28 4,000,000 €
Milad Mohammadi 24 2,800,000 €  
Mehdi Taremi 25 1,700,000 €
Saman Ghoddos 24 1,600,000 €  
Ehsan Hajsafi 28 1,500,000 €
Reza Ghoochannejhad 30 1,500,000 €  
Alireza Beiranvand 25 1,200,000 €
Omid Ebrahimi 30 1,200,000 €  
Saeid Ezatolahi 21 1,200,000 €
Vahid Amiri 30 1,200,000 €  
Ramin Rezaeian 28 1,000,000 €
Morteza Pouraliganji 26 950,000 €  
Mohammad Rashid Mazaheri 29 900,000 €
Mehdi Torabi 23 800 ,000 €  
Majid Hosseini 21 800,000 €
Roozbeh Cheshmi 24 800,000 €  
Ashkan Dejagah 31 800,000 €
Masoud Shojaei 33 700,000 €  
Amir Abedzadeh 25 500,000 €
Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh 26 500,000 €  
Pejman Montazeri 34 400,000 €

Americans plot against Team Melli !

Nike refused to supply boots to the Iranian national team, the coach turned to FIFA.

After Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran Nuclear deal, he has all guns blazing against supplying anything to Iran. backed by the Israeli Benjamin Netanyahou, Trump has started forcing the Amrican firms to step dealing with Iran due to what he claims to be Nuclear threat and support for terrorism. The boycott has not even spared football boots  produced by American company Nike , just in case those boots are utilized in the production of heavy water or Nuclear fuel.

Team Melli Head coach , Portuguese Carlos Queiroz asked the International Football Federation (FIFA) to intervene after the refusal of the sportswear manufacturer Nike to provide soccer boots to the Iranian team.

According to the coach, the replacement of the usual boots on the eve of the World Cup can be bad for the game of the team, Radio Free Europe reports .

“Players get used to their sports equipment, and it’s wrong to change it one week before such important matches,” said Queiroz after training in the Moscow region.

“We urge FIFA to help us in this matter,” he added.

The first match of the Iran in FIFA World Cup starting next week in Russia will be held on June 15 against the team of Morocco in St. Petersburg.

60% of the 32 teams participating in the championship use Nike boots.

The company explained its decision made in May by a statement by US President Donald Trump about withdrawing from a nuclear deal with Iran and restoring sanctions against Tehran.

Sanctions should come into force in a few months, but several European companies have already begun to wind down their business operations in Iran.

Late strike by Ansarifard gives Iran a narrow win against Lithuania

Karim Ansarifard scored a late winner to give Iran a 1-0 victory over Lithuania in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday.

Carlos Queiroz’s side, who will face Morocco, Spain and Portugal in Group B at the World Cup, went into the game on the back of a 2-1 friendly defeat against Turkey in Istanbul and struggled to create chances against Edgaras Jankauskas’ lively Lithuania side.

After going in goalless at half-time, Iran spent much of the second half pinned back by waves of Lithuanian attacks, with Justas Lasickas firing over the crossbar before substitute Povilas Leimonas failed to hit the target after a neat passing move culminated in a chance on the hour mark.

Iran came to life in the last 10 minutes of the game, piling forwards and creating a number of chances before Olympiacos striker Ansarifard tried his luck from the edge of the penalty area and found the net in the 88th minute.

While the result – Iran’s fourth victory in their last six international friendlies – will have pleased Queiroz, the manner of his side’s performance will have given him food for thought ahead of their group opener against Morocco on June 15.

This was the last friendly of Team Melli. Due to a mixture of issues, games against Greece and Kosovo were cancelled. At the last minute it was been able to arrange this game against Lithuania. The Iran was the first team to arrive in Russia and has been in Moscow for 3 days, where it will play. its fifth participation in the World Cup.

Lithuania is a fourth tier team of Europe, which has not played in any World Cup, nor is it expected to do so in the short and medium term. The team consists of local players who play in their country’s, infima league, where their first division players, would have problems playing in the third division of Spain, for example.

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Team Melli lands in Russia

Team Melli squad including 23+1 players landing in Moscow on a chartered flight from Istanbul Turkey.

An official FIFA delegation and organizing committee members were in the airport to greet the team. Mohammed Reza Saket was heading the delegation while the head of FFIRI is recuperating after his stroke in Istanbul.

Team Melli squad was also greeted by a good number of Iranian fans waving the tr-color flag.

The team then proceeded towards the special camp preparing for the last friendly match against Lithuania.

Team Melli spent over 7 days in camp at Besiktas club in Istanbul including a friendly game versus Turkey which Iran lot 2-1.

FIFA World Cup 2018 : Team Melli Final List

Team Melli final list for the FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia has been announced on the deadline date today.

There were various rumors that Jalal Hosseini and/or Veria Ghafouri will be included in the final list and two other defenders were heading out of the squad, but based on track record of Carlos Querioz , it was clear that he would not reverse his decision.

Carlos Queiroz announced his final list at the last hours of FIFA deadline, and only Ali Ghalizadeh was left out of the squad. Queiroz organized his team with 24 players so that if one of the players gets injured he can repalce him easily.

Following the release of the list, the coach sent a brief message to the soccer community saying “I would like to appreciate the efforts of all the players who helped the national team in the World Cup qualifying and preparation games, especially players such as Andranik Teymourian, Jalal Hosseini, Vouria Ghafouri , Kaveh Rezaie, Mohammad Ansari, Ali Karimi, Ezatollah Pourghaz, Saeed Aghaei and Sousha Makani , who have played a major role in qualifying Team Melli to the World Cup. ”

 

The 23 final players in the 2018 World Cup are as follows:

 

Persepolis

 

Jersey : 11

D.O.B: 02.Apr.88
Born: Darreh-ye Badam
Height: 191 cm
International Debut: Iraq 04.Jan.2015
Position:  Forward- Midfield

 

 

 

 

 

Olympiacos CFP (GRC)

 

Jersey: 10

D.O.B: 03-Apr-90
Born: Ardabil
Height: 175 cm
International Debut: Iceland 10.Nov.09
Position:  Forward
Age: 27

More ->

 

 

Rubin Kazan(RUS)

 

Jersey: 20

D.O.B: 01-Jan-95
Born: Gonbad-e Kavus
Height: 185 cm
International Debut: Montenegro 26.May.14
Position:  Forward
Age: 22

More ->

 

 

Persepolis

 

Jersey: 1

D.O.B: 22.Sep.92
Born: Khorramabad
Height: 195 cm
International Debut: Iraq 04.Jan.15
Position:  Goalkeeper
Age: 24

 

 

 

Esteghlal

 

Jersey: 4

D.O.B: 24.Jul.93
Born: Tehran
Height: 192 cm
International Debut: Korea Rep. 31.Aug.2017
Position:  Defender
Age: 24

 

 

 

Nottingham Forest

 

Jersey: 21

D.O.B: 05.Jul.1986
Born: Tehran
Height: 181 cm
International Debut: Qatar 29.02.2012
Position:  Midfield
Age: 31

 

 

 

 

Esteghlal

 

Jersey: 9

D.O.B: 16.Sep.1987
Born: Neka
Height: 177 cm
International Debut: Bahrain 12.Dec.12
Position:  Midfield
Age: 29

 

 

 

 

Amkar Perm (RUS)

 

Jersey: 6

D.O.B: 01.Oct.1996
Born: Bandar Anzali
Height: 190 cm
International Debut: Uzbekistan 11.Jun.15
Position:  Midfield

 

 

 

 

Saipa Alborz

 

 

Jersey: 24

D.O.B: 10.Mar.1996
Born: Namin
Height: 176 cm
International Debut: Sierra Leone 23.Mar.18
Position:   Midfield
Age: 22

 

 

 

 

SC Heerenveen (NED)

 

Jersey: 16

D.O.B: 20-Sep-87
Born: Mashad
Height: 180 cm
International Debut: Korea Rep 16.Oct.12
Position:  Forward
Age: 29

 

 

 

Olympiacos (GRC)

 

Jersey: 3

D.O.B: 25-Feb-90
Born: Kashan
Height: 168 cm
International Debut: Zambia 25.May.08
Position:  Midfield /Defender

 

 

 

 

AZ Alkmaar (NED)

 

Jersey: 18

D.O.B: 08.Oct.93
Born: Jirandeh
Height: 180 cm
International Debut: Lebanon 19.Nov.13
Position:  Midfield
Age: 23

 

 

 

 

 

Padidah

 

 

Jersey: 13

D.O.B: 11.May.91
Born: Tehran
Height: 184 cm
International Debut: Saudi Arabia 09.Dec.12
Position:  Defender
Age: 26

 

 

 

 

Terek Grozny(RUS)

 

Jersey: 5

D.O.B: 29.Sep.93
Born: Tehran
Height: 178 cm
International Debut: Uzbekistan 11.Jun.2015
Position:  Defender
Age: 23

 

 

 

 

Esteghlal

 

Jersey: 15

D.O.B: 09.Sep.83
Born: Abadan
Height: 186 cm
International Debut: China 19.Dec.08
Position:  Defender
33

 

 

 

Al Sadd (QAT)

 

Jersey: 8

D.O.B: 19.Apr.92 
Born: Babol
Height: 185 cm
International Debut: Iraq 04.Jan.15
Position:  Defender / Midfield
03.Sep.2015
Position:  Forward
Age: 25

 

 

K.V. Oostende (BEL)

 

Jersey: 23

D.O.B: 21.Mar.90   
Born: Sari
Height: 183 cm
International Debut: Guam 03.Sep.2015
Position:  Defender / Midfield
Age: 27

 

 

 

AEK Athens (GRC)

 

Jersey: 7

D.O.B: 09.Jun.84 
Born: Shiraz
Height: 184 cm
International Debut: Laos 17.Nov.2004
Position:  Midfield
Age: 33

 

 

Al Gharafa (QAT)

 

Jersey: 17

D.O.B: 18.Jul.92 
Born: Bushehr
Height: 186 cm
International Debut: Uzbekistan 11.Jun.2015
Position:  Forward
Age: 25

 

 

 

Saipa Alborz

 

Jersey: 16

D.O.B: 10.Sep.93
Born: Karaj
Height: 185 cm
International Debut: Uzbekistan 11.Jun.2015
Position:  Midfield
Age: 23

 

 

HEAD COACH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team Melli’s World Cup moments of glory.

1978: Danaeifard snatches a point against favoured Scotland

Iran qualified for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina after going unbeaten in their AFC qualifying campaign. They had failed to reach the tournament Finals in their first attempt four years earlier, but Ghafour Jahani’s solitary strike in a 1-0 win over Australia secured Team Melli’s World Cup berth with one match to spare.

Drawn into a difficult group containing Peru, the Netherlands, and Scotland, many believed that the Central Asians were simply there to make up the numbers. A 3-0 loss to eventual finalists Netherlands did not help matters, with Rob Rensenbrink storming to a hat-trick in the teams’ opening match. In their second game against Scotland, things went from bad to worse when Andranik Eskandarian bundled the ball past his own goalkeeper to give Scotland a first half lead.

Instead of letting their heads drop, IR Iran fought back and were eventually rewarded when Iraj Danaeifard skipped past Archie Gemmill and fired home from a narrow angle; the Iranians had finally scored in the World Cup. When the final whistle blew, there were jubilant celebrations, as Team Melli secured their first-ever point in a World Cup.

1998: First World Cup win

After a 1-0 defeat to Yugoslavia on Matchday One, IR Iran came into their tie against the United States knowing they needed a win to keep their qualification hopes alive.

An already-charged atmosphere ignited when Hamid Estili’s looping header over Kasey Keller gave his side the lead. Both teams then battled it out until the 83rd minute, when would-be Asian Footballer of the Year Mehdi Mahdavikia raced clear through on goal before firing past Keller to all but secure a win. Brian McBride then proceeded to pull one back for the US via a scrappy goal to set up a tense final few minutes.

In the end, IR Iran held out for their first World Cup win in five attempts. A 2-0 loss to Germany in their final Group F match saw Team Melli eliminated at the group stage yet again, but the night in Lyon will always be a fond memory for all Iranians.

2014: Heroic performance against Argentina

Team Melli’s return to the FIFA World Cup after missing out on the 2010 edition saw them pitted against eventual runners-up Argentina as well as Nigeria and debutants Bosnia and Herzegovina. After a stalemate in Curutiba against the then reigning African champions, it was time to face Lionel Messi and co on Matchday Two.

Going into the match as the clear underdogs, Carlos Queiroz’s men were not fazed by the opposition, matching the Argentinians in every area of the pitch in the opening period. Jalal Hosseini’s header just above the crossbar was as close as either team got to breaking the deadlock before the break.

FFIRI to file a complaint against Greek FA with FIFA.

As the media in Iran were actively researching this new European and less known team including for information such as their foreign based players, it was announced soon after (about seven hours later) by the Kosovo Football Association that it was calling off the match with Team Melli , due to the demand to play behind closed doors without spectators.

The match was scheduled to take place at İstanbul Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu (same venue as the match against Turkey), but with the cancellation of this match, Team Melli is now only practicing in Turkey. After that, the  final list will be declared, then the squad will head to Russia to complete its last match against Lithuania.

After canceling the game, the Iranian Football Federation FFIRI condemned its Greek counterpart, saying it has suspended all relations with the Greek Football Association in a more formal and demonstrative fashion!  The statement by the federation, said “Despite the claims, the Iranian national team was always ready to play in Greece, as the documents exchanged between the two federations had an account of this issue. The FFIRI will file a complaint and report the issue to FIFA and will take all legal action for compensation for the losses incurred. Until such time as FIFA takes action on this case, the Iranian Football Association has announced that it will suspend all its relations with the Greek Football Association. “

Apparently the topic of the discussion was the venue of the game with Greece. The Greeks suggested to play in Greece, Xanthi. Then Athens was discussed as an alternative to Xanthi, but eventually the game was canceled because of the Greek Football Association sponsor! The federation statement goes on to point out the attempts to replace Greece with the new opponent and the subsequently canceled match with Kosovo:

“At the right time, all the necessary actions to find an alternative team to play the friendly match were taken on June 2nd. After seeking several options, the Football Federation of Iran began talks with the Kosovo Football Federation and a preliminary agreement for a friendly match was made. Following the initial agreement, the Iranian Football Federation accepted all the demands of the Kosovo Federation (including transport, residency, etc.), a new and final request was submitted by the Kosovo Football Federation that rendered playing the match Impossible. “

New and last-minute wishes? What the Kosovars have pointed out is very much a normal football practise of 100 of years and that is the presence of spectators. The Iranians have not accepted that and subsequently the game was called off. Now, who is desperate for a practise match, Kosovo who has nothing to play for , or Iran with a World Cup ahead in a fortnight?  Simple question , who is the loser here, regardless to the fact that Kosovo ranks 152 in the FIFA Ranking, which is even worst that Sierra Leone at 103?

That episode clearly shows the shortsightedness of the Iranian football officials and the stubbornness of one Carlos Queiroz, a coach who is not world renowned for his flexibility or diplomacy.

With this account and since it is unlikely that in these one-two days a new opponent will provide a challenge and much-needed practise for Team Melli, the Iranian side’s preparations for the World Cup was made up of a match against the Olympic team of Uzbekistan, under strength Turkish side and a match against reserves of Lithuania, ranked 91!!

Thus , Team Melli is about he worst  prepared team of the FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia.

 

Kosovo turns down Queiroz request for a friendly.

Team Melli’s request for a friendly match  against Kosovo has been turned down.

The Iran-Kosovo friendly match was supposed to be played on June 13th in Istanbul, Turkey. The
meeting was refused according to the Kosovo football website, which is attributed to the country’s Federation.

The Kosovo Football Federation issued a formal statement announcing the cancellation of the visit, as the Iranian side has requested the match to be held behind closed-door!  The Kosovo Federation did not entertain such request.

Carlos Queiroz has this habit of playing matches behind closed-door where even journalist are not allowed to enter the stadium. This antic, presumably for hiding a special tactics that he has up his sleeve, has never worked and is considered obsolete in the Modern Football world!

Team Melli is currently in Istanbul Turkey on a training camp preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2018, Group B matches against Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

Ali Gholizadeh joins the belgian club Sporting de Charleroi

The Iran international winger has joined the Belgium football team Sporting de Charleroi from Saipa Alborz

Ali Gholizadeh, 22, who scored six goals and registered six assists this season in the Persian Gulf Professional League, signed a two-year contract with the Zebras.

Gholizadeh, who is in the team Melli squad for the World Cup in Russia, was followed by several European clubs but chose Sporting de Charleroi, where he will be playing alongside his compatriot Kaveh Rezaei.

SC Charleroi is also considering another Team Melli player , Omid Noorafkan of Esteghlal Tehran. The young Noorafkan is in negotiations with the club.

Queiroz dilemma two weeks before the World Cup.

Carlos Queiroz, had a clear message after the game against Algeria. Team Melli head coach pointed out that the domestic league Iranian players are not ready for the World Cup, and so they need a special preparation program in the next 40 days to reach the desired form  “domestic players need to prepare for better duels. They need to be stronger and faster. They need to practice thinking and playing fast so they need to work with me closely. ”

Queiroz, after the game with Tunisia and Algeria, made his message clear to the Iranian football officials and emphasized that the preparation of domestic league players for the World Cup needs a special program and more time.

However, his statement about the Iranian league players did not go down well with many, particularly coaches like of Esteghlal’s Winfred Schaefer and Persepolis’ Branko Ivankovic.

Last night’s Team Melli match against Turkey was a proof that Queiroz had a point.

In the lineup, apart from Alireza Biranvand, the only other player of the domestic league was Roozbeh Cheshmi, Esteghlal defender, who was the culprit in both goals. Although a number of legionnaires were far from the ideal form, they could not be considered as major concerns, however.

Despite all the criticisms that Roozbeh Chesmi received after the loss to Turkey, Queiroz refused to single out a player for blame for that defeat. At the press conference, he said that ” if we make a mistake all the blame should not be pointed to one player. If we do that it shows we are short sighted”

Alireza Biranvand also had a poor performance. He did not show any sign of confidence in both the goals. His poor timing in the second goal was a proof. He also did not ease the worries of Querioz as the Portuguese, surely has nightmares on whom to pick as the number one keeper. Using Biranvand , is taking an enormous risk, not just because he is weak, but it is quite apparent that the Persepolis keeper is losing his confidence after so many blunders at club and national level.