Amir Ghalenoei, ex-Team Melli and current Zob Ahan coach , spoke about the upcoming match of Team Melli versus Sierra Leone team.
“We need to find out if our international communications director and our Public Relations are such that we can attract better teams to Iran? In the days I was a coach of the national team, I swear to God that I had arranged the international friendlies, preparation matches and logistics two years in advance.” Ghalenoei said.
The former Estighlal coach and the record holder of league titles with different Iranian clubs, added “although the Football Federation was suspended at that time, with the in-fighting between the two political factions within the FFIRI, I said to myself that even if I have little time as the coach of Team Melli, I would do something significant”
Ghalenoei prompted “We should look for the preparation program of the national team’s technical staff. Certainly, such games like Sierra Leone, do not serve Iran’s football, but the question remains, have we been able to meet the demands of the technical staff with all those political problems surrounding us? I doubt that the technical staff of Team Melli would have been interested to meet such a team in the preparation for the World Cup, perhaps they had no choice but grudgingly accept the game as they had no other options. “
In another part of the interview, Ghalenoei spoke about the Secretary of the Football Federation Mohammad Reza Saket, “He (Saket) has 15 years of administration experience in football, but this game against a weak African team, does not help our cause.”
“I’m sorry, to say this,” he said. “but, in countries like us, some executives work 20 hours a day; this means disaster. This shows that our country is a hundred years behind. The executive‘s disillusionment will be disastrous in the second month. One manager should work eight hours, have eight hours to rest and have eight hours to go to his family; where not a programmer, a manager is proud to say that I am at work from five in the morning or I work for 20 hours; I have to work on everything in the program and the perspective.
Ghalenoei praised Carlos Queiroz for his results with Team Melli. “In general, his reputation and fame meant international recognition, and after six years he has become an aristocratic football coach. In countries like Iran, where there is systematic lack of planning, managers who can make a difference and are competent , do not have a chance or not given the opportunity to be leaders, and there are some who are elevated by nepotism, who get to position they do not deserve and serve without much vision or success. The end result is that nobody is enjoying football run by these people.”