TEHRAN: Carlos Queiroz has quit as Iran coach citing external “pressures” just six months after extending his contract until 2018, the Iranian Football Federation confirmed Friday.
The 62-year-old’s future has been in doubt since the team returned from the World Cup in Brazil, where he won respect for shaping a plucky team out of a modestly talented squad, but ultimately lost out in the first round.
“I didn’t want to leave and was not even thinking about it,” the Portuguese coach told the Fars news agency.
“It was not in my control and it was not my decision. Even my boss didn’t want this but unfortunately both sides were forced to agree on this because of pressures.”
According to the Fars, Queiroz wanted to pick Sardar Azmoon, of Russia’s FC Rostov, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, of NEC in the Netherlands, for two friendlies in Europe.
But they were called up to play for Iran’s Olympic under-23 team instead.
The decision appears to have been the last straw for Queiroz, whose rows with the federation and Iran’s Sports Ministry have played out in the media.
He cannot carry on with this situation and he has resigned from his post,” Ali Kafashian, president of the Iran Football Federation, said of Queiroz, in an interview with the official IRNA news agency.
“We cannot force him to stay,” he added.
Queiroz, formerly head coach at Real Madrid and an assistant at Manchester United, will formally leave the Iran side at the end of March after friendlies against Sweden and Chile, the IRNA news agency reported.
Iran had a chaotic buildup to the finals in Brazil last year, with training camps cancelled and Queiroz also complaining there was not enough money to kit out his players with strips and other gear.
Queiroz’s team also had a disappointing exit from the Asian Nations Cup in January, losing on penalties to Iraq in a fiery quarterfinal after which he questioned how the referee could sleep at night.
Iran lodged a formal complaint, claiming Iraqi midfielder Alaa Abdulzehra failed a drugs test while playing for an Iranian club last year, but it was rejected by Asian Football Confederation officials. – AFP