Tag: FIFA World Cup 2022

Iran’s Ehsan Hajsafi: ‘The conditions in our country are not right’

The Guardian
Monday 21 November 2022

In a significant, politically freighted intervention, Iran’s captain Ehsan Hajsafi has said he would be happy for his team to serve as a force for change in a country where protests against the regime in Tehran continue to escalate.

As Iran’s government faces its most critical moment since the Islamic revolution in 1979, Hajsafi, a left-back at AEK Athens, on Sunday night addressed a press conference before his team’s opening World Cup group game against England in Doha on Monday.

“We have to accept the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy,” he said. “We are here but it does not mean we should not be their voice or we must not respect them. “Whatever we have is from them. We have to fight. We have to perform and score some goals to present the brave people of Iran with a result. I hope conditions change as to the expectations of the people.”

A popular uprising has been gaining momentum since September after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22‑year‑old detained by the country’s morality police for allegedly not covering her head properly.

Since then protests against the rules forcing women to wear the hijab have expanded into widespread discontent with the country’s strict theocracy, with more than 380 people said to have been killed by security forces.

As a byproduct, Carlos Queiroz’s team has been placed in the unenviable position of being required to represent the Islamic republic while being under intense pressure to support millions of protesting compatriots. “The situation in Iran is very difficult,” said Hajsafi, who is aware human rights groups have called for Iran’s expulsion from the World Cup.

Tellingly, before taking questions he opened by offering support for those who had lost loved ones during the recent turmoil. “I would like to express my condolences to all the bereaved families,” he said. “They should know we are with them, we support them and we sympathize with them.”

A key moment will arrive shortly before kick-off when members of a squad thought to be still slightly divided as to how to respond must take individual decisions as to whether to sing a national anthem, all about glorifying the 1979 revolution.

It all dictated that, at the end of a day in which light winds whipped through Doha, creating piles of dust at almost every turn, Queiroz found himself at the eye of a diplomatic sandstorm he opted to ignore on Sunday.

Iran’s Portuguese coach, and former assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, preferred to concentrate on a different type of whirlwind. “England have a storm of talent,” the 69-year-old said as he smothered Gareth Southgate with flattery. “England are one of the top teams in the world. They are a contender to be the world champion. They have fantastic, strong talent and a great coach.”

It will be the first time Queiroz has faced England and he claimed not to have sought any advice from Ferguson. “I did not receive any help from Scotland,” he said. “Of course, we talk frequently as friends. But you can relax!”

He then launched into an ode to English players, claiming they were superior to the team of recent predecessors dominated by David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, and Paul Scholes. “This new generation of players Southgate is bringing for the national team in my opinion is probably the most competitive English team since 1966 that I have the opportunity to see – and I remember that team very well. But this team is very functional, very practical, very realistic.

“I worked with the generation of Rio, of Paul Scholes. Fantastic players, David Beckham and all those guys. But this national team is really different. They make a realistic approach to every single game which makes them very, very dangerous.”

Although Queiroz said Iran believed they could reach the knockout stage he confessed Monday would contain a surreal quality. “For many of our players to play against England is like magic, it’s a gift,” he said. “Since watching football as kids, it’s been a lifelong dream for my players to play in this game. We will enjoy it.”

Queiroz squad and expectations.

Carlos Queiroz’s squad was not much of a surprise for the people who have known his style in his 8 years reign with Team Melli. A coach that believes in brute defense, or parking the bus, if you wish, especially if the team he is coaching is facing powerful opposition. Queiroz is not much a fan of players with a special skill or technique as he much rather has a strong physical player who can tackle and defend no matter what outfield post they play. Physically strong opponents is exactly what Iran will be facing in the shape of England Wales and the United States.

Sixteen players from Team Melli’s last World Cup adventure are included in the latest selection of Queiroz. On the other hand, only 7 England players kept their place for World Cup 2022 from the previous one in Russia. Many things change in four years of football, and Team Melli has naturally changed too, however, with less than two months to go for the first match in the World Cup and 17 days in total where Queiroz can actually work with his players, the Portuguese coach will not risk trials and as predictable as he can be, the bets that he will stick to the players he knows best from 3 1/2 years ago. No place for Aref Gholami, Mehdi Gahyedi, Mohammad Mohebbi, or the future star of Irans football Yasin Salmani.

The future is repeating itself with Queiroz, hence his bland predictability. He left out Sardar Azmoun the rising starlet of Iran in World Cup 2014 and now doing the same with Yasin Salmani.

While all of these are not big risks, there is one drawback in his selection that could prove the downfall of Iran’s team in Qatar. Queiroz’s favorites are 4 years older, but even worst than that, all the player bar one are experiencing not-so-brilliant playing careers with their clubs in European leagues. Most are bench warmers with the exception of Mehdi Taremi.

The likes of Vahid Amiri, Omid Ebrahimi, Saeid Ezatollahi, and Saman Ghoddos, who are regarded as Team Melli’s aging ‘old guard’ can give experience to a game, but are not necessarily the weapons that are required to face the mighty teams. With some being fringe players in their clubs, there seems to be an acute shortage of skill and leadership in the midfield. Even though, only one additional player (Sarlak) has been added in a line that really needs strengthening. In fact, the midfield is probably the weakest link without a dynamic or creative player. The offensive plan that Queiroz would stick to is “route one” the style of play where the ball is sent forward from the back straight to the lone forward bypassing the midfield. Rezaeian, Mohammadi, Moharrami, and even Hardani can do the job for Queiroz in such plan. Midfield would be used more in bolstering the defense than any offensive duties.

9 players in Team Melli’s current squad are at or above 30 years old. In the demanding environment of Qatar, and oppositions that are runners with stamina, it is difficult to see how Queiroz will stand against the much fitter European and American players.  The average age of Iran’s squad is 27.6 years, however, if one considers the expected 11 starting players, then the average age will be significantly higher.

It is not expected that Queiroz will deviate much from this mindset of his and why should he take the risk? Fans who admire offensive and exciting football might very well be disappointed by Queiroz’s approach as we have all seen the FIFA World Cup 2018.

TEAM MELLI SQUAD 

Austrian Camp September 2022

Red denotes players not selected for WC208 Russia.

# Name Post Age Caps Goals
1 Abolfazl JALALI DF 24 1
2 Ahmad NOUROLLAHI MF 29 24 3
3 Ali GHOLIZADEH MF 26 `24 6
4 Alireza BEIRANVAND GK 29 50
5 AliReza JAHANBAKHSH FW 28 62 13
6 Amir ABEDZADEH GK 29 10
7 Ehsan HAJSAFI DF 32 117 7
8 Hossein HOSSEINI DF 30 4
9 Hossein KANANI-ZADEGAN DF 28 32 2
10 Karim ANSARIFARD FW 32 92 28
11 Majid HOSSEINI DF 26 17
12 Mehdi TAREMI FW 30 58 29
13 Mehdi TORABI FW 29 34 6
14 Milad MOHAMMADI DF 28 45 1
15 Milad Sarlak MF 27 9 0
16 Morteza POURALIGANJI DF 30 44 3
17 Omid EBRAHIMI MF 35 53
18 Omid NOORAFKAN DF 25 13
19 Payam Niazmand GK 27 1
20 Ramin REZAEIAN DF 32 45 2
21 Sadegh MOHARRAMI DF 26 18
22 Saeid EZZATOLLAHI MF 25 45 1
23 Saleh HARDANI DF 24 2
24 Saman GHODDOS MF 29 31 2
25 Sardar AZMOUN FW 27 63 40
26 Shojaa KHALILZADEH DF 33 23 1
27 Vahid AMIRI MF 34 66 3
Averages -> 27.6 26.8 8.9

A friendly international match against Russia is announced.

www.rt.com

The Russian football federation has announced upcoming friendly matches against Kyrgyzstan and Iran, with the latter likely to take place in Tehran, according to reports.

Russian teams at all levels remain banned from UEFA and FIFA competitions following the onset of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine – a situation that prevented the Russian team from attempting to qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

But they can play friendly internationals and will take on an Iran team that will play at the World Cup in a group alongside the USA, England, and Wales.

The Iranians will host the Russian team managed by Valeri Karpin in a game planned for November, with a date and location to be confirmed but which will likely take place in Tehran, according to Match TV.

The match against Kyrgyzstan is scheduled for September 24 in Bishkek’s Dolen Omurzakov Stadium and will be the first football meeting at this level between the two nations.  

The coaching staff of the Russian national team is happy to have the opportunity to get together again and hold a full-fledged training camp,” said manager Karpin, who later announced a provisional 35-man squad for the meeting with Kyrgyzstan.

“Iran are a World Cup participant, a team with a good rating. There are questions about the dates of the matches, Iran plays the first match on November 21 at the World Cup [against England].

“Negotiations are underway,” added Karpin when asked about an exact date.

Russian official outlines plan to tackle UEFA & FIFA bans

The Russian national team has not played since a World Cup qualifying defeat to Croatia in Split back in November.

That loss ended their hopes of qualifying directly for Qatar, although Russia was due to play Poland in a European qualifying playoff semifinal in Moscow in March, before a potential qualifying final against Sweden or the Czech Republic.

Russia is currently ranked number 35 in FIFA’s men’s ratings, with Iran in the 22nd spot and Kyrgyzstan down in 95th.

Team Melli : Health check.

With less than 90 days to run for the start of the Team Melli World Cup adventure, the news of the Coaching Team, the Players, and the administration is far from encouraging.

THE COACH

Starting with Dragan Skočić. The off then On drama of his coaching Team Melli has left a bitter taste not in the mouth of the Croat but in many circles including the masses and the true fans of Team Melli. The hard-working Croat is actively planning and working as if nothing has happened, but down deep inside, he knows that these people cannot be trusted and he could be out of a job in no time especially now that Mehdi taj has robbed the presidency of the FFIRI.

This instability in Skočić added to the still lingering opposition to him by key players like Taremi will only serve to diminish Team Melli’s chances in Doha. No matter how sincere  Skočić is and how dedicated of a person he can be, there are enemies within that will destroy him and want to see him fail. These are the same lobbyists who are calling for the return of Carlos Queiroz as if he is the messiah and the savior of Team Melli who can create miracles in less than 90 days. Of course, the fact that in 8 years of Queiroz, he has not won anything for Iran, is irrelevant to this strong lobby.

Stability is important, and right now this whole squad lacks stability due to the coaching situation.

THE PLAYERS

With the World Cup fast approaching, there is much more bad news from the players than encouraging ones.  Perhaps Mehdi Taremi is the only paler that showed some promise this season in his matches with Porto. But Taremi is also the agent provocateur of the squad and his commitment to Dragan Skocic is suspect.. The player has proven several times that his attitude can be alarming on and off the field.

Saradr Azmoun , the golden boy of the squad has been having a tough time. He is a n=bench player with Leverkusen after being a star and a champion in the Russian League with Zenit. The horrendous drop in form can be attributed to several things including events outside the pitch and his involvement with a court case.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is yet another disappointment with Feyenoord. He is also a bench warmer and has yet to score this season. His fall from grace after such a promising start with the dutch side is nothing but bad news for Team Melli selectors.

The third choice forward is Karim Ansarifdard. The former AEK Athens player finally chose to join a Cypriot Team. After being on the bench for AEK, he needs to prove himself at Omonia and has a good opportunity to do so, especially as the team is involved in the Europa Cup and could be playing against the might of Manchester United and Real Sociedad else his selection for the World Cup is suspect.

Vahid Amiri, the dynamo of the team is still injured and in the recovery phase. His availability is vital for Skocic. Amiri has only limited days to find his form once again.

Saeed Ezatollahi the Marco Polo of Iranian football is currently without a club. He failed to impress in the middle of the table Qatari club and soon was released. He is a player who lacks stability changing teams every season. If his performance in Qatar Star League is to go upon, Ezatollahi is nowhere near World Cup appearance standard He needs to improve fast with whatever club.

Another player who is warming the bench is Saman Ghoddos.  His promising start with Brentford is all history now. Despite some positive games whenever he was given the chance to play, Ghoddos has failed to impress Brentford coach with his value as a starter.

There was an injury scare for Shojaa KHALILZADEH recently but he recovered well and is expected to be a key player in the World Cup

Hossein Kananizadegan has been a piece of rare good news for Team Melli. He is performing strongly in the Qatar league and even scoring for his club. So far his selection for the World Cup is more than assured.

Off some quite disappointing seasons in European Leagues, Alireza Beiranvand returned to Iran and Persepolis to regain the number one spot in Team Melli that Abedzadeh has won from him. With the domestic league already in the fifth week, Beiranvand is solid. It remains to be seen if Skocic still believes in him as number one.

Majid Hosseini had a good season with Kayserispor in TUrky and has started well this season too. He remains a strong contender for the central defense post that mostly was filled by Kanani-zadegan and Khalilzadeh.

Ahmad NOUROLLAHI , Ali GHOLIZADEH, Omid NOORAFKAN, and Sadegh MOHARRAMI have performed well this season and should have no problem being in the squad.

Yasin Salmani the young prodigy from Sepahn will have a strong case for inclusion so is Mehdi Ghaedi who has returned back from UAE to join Esteghlal. Allahyar Sayyadmanesh will probably miss the World Cup or not recover in time from his injury.

Omid EBRAHIMI, Mehdi MEHDIPOUR, and Milad SARLAK,  are also contenders and have been playing well for their respective clubs.

The rank outsider is Ramin Rezaeian. The current Sepahan Players have been playing well this season. His performance might very well mean a recall to Team Melli. He can perform in the midfield and at the back.

ffiri

The election of Mehdi Taj as head of FFIRI has created much instability in Iran football. The man has many cases open against him for mismanagement and even funds misappropriation s in relation to Marc Wilmots’ file, yet by the grace of the almighty, he returns back with the majority of votes, 51 to be exact, the same number of votes that he won his first election!

The man who has been a career industrialist working for government organizations and industries has great support from the government, after all, he is their man. He is a Queiroz advocate and he might just try to bring him back. Whether he succeeds or not, such moves are all negative points for Team Melli.

Taj is not a great leader either. He was involved in the embarrassing ceremony of revealing the World Cup Trophy in Milad tower that abruptly ended in embarrassment and shame for Iran’s football. Not much was expected from him in boosting Team Melli’s chances.

CONCLUSION

On Paper, Iran stands a moderate to a good chance of qualifying for the next round behind England the undisputed favorite. However, there have been lots of negatives that have affected team Melli recently

The picture is not too rosy for Team Melli’s chances. The reality is that many key players are suffering a dip in form particularly the European Legionnaires that Skocic so depended on. If the conflicts between the coach and some minority yet strong-voiced players are not completely sorted out, then it could end up as one of the worst performances of Team Melli in a World Cup.

Team Melli Squad: Who is going to make it to Qatar?

No doubt that the Croat Head Coach of Team Melli is experiencing the busiest and the most important days of his coaching career as he prepares the list of passengers to Doha comes November of this year.

Skocic has only one window and that is FIFA Day in September to decide his final list probably after the Uruguay and Senegal matches.  While some of the players automatically have reserved their names on board the flight to Qatar others who played in the qualification might not be so assured of a place.

In this article, we will discuss individual players’ chances and any reasons that the coaching team might find crucial to include the player while discussing the reasons why some are dispensable. Like always, not every justification for selection or not is pure football related. Other factors always weigh in and in a country like Iran with political and social sensitivity, the reasons for exclusion are aplenty.

GOALKEEPERS

  1. Alireza Beiranvand: His inclusion will all depend on his club form with Persepolis and whether Golmohammadi picks him to be his number one in Persepolis. His shaky foreign adventure does not augur well for inclusion in the World Cup squad. His work in Iran will determine his incusion  50%
  2. Amir ABEDZADEH: Despite one or two errors, Abdezadeh remains as the number one keeper. His good start in Spain should enhance his chances too. 80%
  3. Hossein Hosseini: Lacks consistency with a standard that can vary between the brilliance to the ridiculous clumsy. However, he remains a contender for the squad. 55%
  4. Payam Niazmand: A young goalkeeper who did not have a syuccesful trial in Europe and his short stint ended as he is back with Sepahan. Like Beiranvand, he really needs to excel to convince Skocic of his worth. 45%

DEFENDER

  1. Aref AGHASI: Steady defender who defends with confidence. Lacks international exposure which is quite important for the World Cup. He has however many challengers for his post in Team Melli 45%
  2. Aref GHOLAMI: Similar to  Aghasi’s case with little international experience. He is a solid defender that can be a competent replacement when needed. 45%
  3. Danial ESMAEILIFAR: Although made his debut for Team Melli at a late age, his strong showing in last season’s league convinced the selectors of his value. The World Cup might be too difficult of a target for him. 35%
  4. Ehsan HAJSAFI: The long-serving versatile player has been ever present for Team Melli. However, as time passes and circumstances change Hajisafi’s chances of making his 3rd World Cup in a row is quite dim. Not only he is in the rebel group, but he has also been utilized less and less in recent matches.  It is difficult to see him included in the last 26 players list. 45%
  5. Hossein KANANI-ZADEGAN: Despite his off-the-field antics, which put him in trouble with the authorities, he remains a strong defender and reliable player for the team. His chances are enhanced with his good performance in the new season in Qatar. 85%
  6. Majid HOSSEINI: Improving with age and experience gained in the Turkish League. He might not be a fixed player in the lineup but quite an important bench that Skocic can call upon in case of injury to any of his defenders. 75% 
  7. Mehdi MEHDIPOUR: A good utility player that has impressed with his club. As a newcomer, he has little exposure at the international level so it is quite possible that he will not be on the list. 48%
  8. Milad MOHAMMADI: Perhaps the left-back did not have the best of time in the Greek League but he is still a solid defender with a pace that is important when facing the like of England. 75%
  9. Morteza Pouralganji: Has been absent for a long time due to injury. His return back to Iran from the Chinese league will only serve to enhance his chances for inclusion on the list. 67#
  10. Omid NOORAFKAN: One of the players who has solidified his place in the squad. Has performed strongly and remains one of the best players for his club Sepahan. 85%
  11. Sadegh MOHARRAMI: Limited time with Dynamo Zagreb but Moharrami has qualities that are needed for the team. His weaknesses could be troublesome but in the end, he remains a determined and highly motivated player. 78%
  12. Saleh HARDANI: The right-back is one of the players that have a great future. In the style of Kaebi, he has pace and agility that can surprise the opposition. His selection depends on the number of defenders Skocic needs in the squad. 55%
  13. Shojaa KHALILZADEH: One of the key players but injury prone. Not enjoying the start of the news season as his team is right at the bottom of the league in Qatar. His value for Team Melli though is undeniable. 80%

MIDFIELD

  1. Ahmad NOUROLLAHI: One player that keeps improving and should be in the squad without much doubt. He has enough experience to face the big teams in the World Cup 80%
  2. Ali GHOLIZADEH: Tacticsl, nifty and skillful dribbler. The qualities that are needed to break defenses. Has a tendency to disappear from the action at times in some games, but still a classy player 80%
  3. Alireza JAHANBAKHSH: has been nothing but disappointment in Europe, although his Team Melli games have not suffered. As one of the rebels, he might end up missing the World Cup, but Skocic will miss his experiences in case he is overlooked. 55%
  4. Mehdi Torabi: A player with so much promise but has not achieved his potential yet. He remains a fringe player in team Melli but also a player that enriches the bench. 60%
  5. Milad SARLAK: Good and solid midfielder who has not disappointed when he was asked to play for the Team. The only problem for selection remains the numbers that the selectors will decide for each of the lines. 45%
  6. Omid EBRAHIMI: A player that has been recently recalled to Team Melli after being overlooked. His undoubted skills, work rate, and dynamics are a delight to see and something that coaches always welcome from a player. 75%
  7. Ramin REZAEIAN: Another player that has been ignored mostly due to disciplinary issues. He has started very well with Sepahan and has shown much of his skills and abilities during the start of the season. A  strong contender for a place in Doha. 60%
  8. Saeid EZZATOLLAHI :  Another of the disappointing players who never achieved stability. Keeps changing clubs every season. His standard has been affected and shows a lack of consistency during the games, He does however has a physical presence that is quite useful at the International level. 40%
  9. Saman GHODDOS: A bench player for his club. Never achieved the grade with two seasons in the English Premiere league. Little Match time to check his standards 45&
  10. Soroush RAFIEI: The player is making a strong case for his inclusion. He is on the brink and stands a fair chance. 50%
  11. Vahid AMIRI: One of the key players for Team Melli. Suffered a long injury and has not played yet for Persepolis in the League. The progress of his injury is sketchy. He might not recover in time for inclusion but if he is fit and goes through the tough training then Amiri is a must for Team Melli. 70%
  12. Yasin SALMANI: This young player and leader is the talk of the town in Iran football. He has yet to make his debut for Team Melli but has played and captained the Omid team. Lack of international experience is his only weakness. Despite that, his chances are better than fair to be on the list. 57%

FORWARD

  1. Ali ALIPOUR: A player that is making a good case to be included in the squad. He started the season with a winning goal and if he continues his good form, it will force the selectors to include him. 50%
  2. Allahyar SAYYADMANESH: Another of the young guns that lay a claim for inclusion in the list. He has not been playing well at the start of the season for his club and that might put his chances in jeopardy. 55%
  3. Amir Hossein HOSSEINZADEH: Yet another young talent. The same rules and limitations apply here too. Simply lack of international exposure rather than anything else. 53% 
  4. Karim ANSARIFARD: A player that has failed to impress for many seasons now. Apqrt fpor cameo apperances for Team Melli, he is also unwanted by his club who are desperate to get rid of him. He did not endear himself to the head coach either being in the rebel group of players. 40%
  5. Kaveh Rezaei: Recently moved back to the Iranian league. Due to administrative issues, he is not yet registered to play and hence did not play yet. Difficult to see him on the plane unless he makes it good in the league this season. 40%
  6. Mehdi GHAEDI: Back with Esteghlal and strongly too. Ghaedi cannot be a starter for Team Melli for many reasons but specifically his weak physique. But as a substitute, he can be useful if he can stand the tackles of the English and Welsh players in particular. 68%
  7. Mehdi TAREMI: If there is any doubt about this player, it is his demeanor and attitude. He led the rebellion against Skocic and was outspoken about it. To be fair, that should exclude him from Team Melli automatically as he will be a disruptive element in the team that requires unity and harmony. It all depends on how SKocic will approach this big problem and whether Taremi maintains respect for the coach, especially behind his back. His chances for inclusion are neutral because of his attitude, else he is a key player on the field. 51%
  8. Mehrdad MOHAMMADI: Despite a good start for his team in Qatar, he has struggled lately in a league that demands a lot from foreigners. 45%
  9. Sardar AZMOUN: A key player and indespensible. He has been having off-the-field problems lately that have surely affected his concentration. Azmoun remains one of the best Team Melli players and a player that has scored crucial goals. 90%

We have picked 26 players that have the best chance of making it to the World Cup. We have excluded players such as Ansarifard, Hajsafim Ezatollahi, and Saman Ghoddos. The last word and decision are of course with Dragan Skocic and his coaching staff. There will no doubt be some developments,  circumstances, changes in priorities, and the usual interferences that will affect the issue. We believe that the biggest hurdle that Skocic needs to tackle is to regain the player’s confidence and minimize or completely bypass the disruptive elements. That is easier said than done. How he manages the rebels if and only if he decides to select them is crucial for Team Melli. chances

World Cup i is an arena where Men rather than boys perform and show their worth. The emphasis must be on the unity of the Team and everyone playing for Iran and the fans not to promote themselves and their interests.,

Kamaranifar claims FIFA will partly release some funds to FFIRI

According to Mehr reporter, Hassan Kamranifar, the Secretary General of the Football Federation, as a representative of the Iranian national team, attended the recent FIFA coordination meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, where all the 32 finalist teams sent delegates.

Terms, conditions, local laws, and other requirements for the World Cup competition including the number of players in each team and other requirements that the teams need to adhere to were communicated to the delegate.  FIFA officials also held bilateral meetings with all the finalist’s delegates. In the meeting held between FIFA and FFIRI representative, KamraniFar discussed with FIFA the issue of blocked funds that FFIRI has to receive as prize money for Iran’s qualification to the FIFA World Cup in which FIFA awards each finalist a lump sum months before the start of the competition. The Preparation money is a FIFA award of $2.5 million as a guaranteed payment to each and every 32 national teams participating in World Cup 2022.

The meeting was attended by officials from the legal and financial department of FIFA  who heard the FFIRI demands. After returning from his trip to Switzerland, the Secretary General of the Iranian Football Federation presented the outcome of the discussion with FIFA  to Mirshad Majedi and the members of the Board of Directors. In an informal meeting, Kamranifar said that he received the green light from FIFA for partial payment of the US$2.5 million using various methods through Banks before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Therefore, intensive correspondence between FFIRI & FIFA has started in order to channel the funds through the banks of the Persian Gulf region and settle the current financial problems. Now, it remains to be seen whether Kamranifar’s good news to the officials of the Football Federation will come true soon, or whether the financial sanctions will still prevent the transfer of this money to the country.

Team Melli fans are the least excited for the FIFA World Cup 2022.

A study conducted on social media has revealed that the fans of Team Melli are the least excited supporters of their Team in the upcoming World Cup.
Although the result is a bit of a surprise for Iran, which has one of the most passionate football supporters in the world, looking back at the event of the last few months, it is hardly a surprise that the fans have lost faith in their team.
Poor preparations of Team Melli. lack of friendly games, disunity and internal conflicts between players, the saga of Head Coach   Skocic disqualification and reinstatement, the shambolic management of FFIRI, political interference, the desperation of the nation with daily economic hardship, a great number of fans migrating towards Iran’s volleyball team and many other factors have dampened the enthusiasm of the Iranian fans toward Team Melli in the World Cup 2022.

The experts over at CasinosCrypto.com have analyzed Social Media sentiment data from the last 12 months using the social listening tool Linkfluence in order to determine which nations’ supporters are most hyped about the upcoming  2022 FIFA World Cup.

Saudi Arabia is the most excited country (33%) in the world.

Portuguese fans are the most excited country in Europe about the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with almost a quarter of fans already excited (25%).

Costa Rica, despite not being among the front-runners, is the most excited team across America (29%).

The European Nations Most Excited for Game Day

Comparing Social Media data across Europe, it’s clear that Portugal is the most excited country about the  2022 FIFA World Cup. With almost a quarter (25%) of Portuguese citizens speaking positively about the event, it’s clear that they are hyped to see Cristiano Ronaldo back playing for his nation.

Belgium, who came in third place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow, is found to have over a fifth of their fans (21%) ready for the action.

2018 winners France are joint-third with Spain (20%) and both teams are full of talent. The pair will be aiming to reach the latter stages of the competition, with France hoping to take home their third trophy.

The English are equally excited about the tournament (13%) as the Welsh despite the Premier League being interrupted mid-season for the first time.

saudi-arabia-qatar-2022-fifa-world-cup-brazil-portugal-costa-rica

Portugal

Nation    (FIFA Ranking)  Positive

Portugal     8th                   25%

Belgium     2nd                  21%

France        3rd                  20%

Spain          7th                  20%

Denmark    11th               14%

England      5th                 13%

Wales         18th               13%

Croatia       16th               12%

Switzerland 14th             11%

Germany     12th              6%

Serbia         25th               17%

Poland.      26th                 7%

Netherlands 10th              7%

saudi-arabia-qatar-2022-fifa-world-cup-brazil-portugal-costa-rica

Costa Rica

The Americas’ Most Excited World Cup Countries

Eight North and South American countries have qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and fans of Costa Rica are not holding back. Despite having the worst odds of the tournament, 29% of people in Costa Rica are excited about the tournament’s kick-off on the 23rd of November.

Uruguay, who are hoping to improve on their 2010 semi-final finish with the aid of star strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, recorded a 24% positive sentiment.

Perhaps surprisingly, the USA  which is facing Iran, England, and Wales in the World Cup, has ranked bottom of the excitement list.

Nation     (FIFA Ranking)   Positive

Costa Rica     31st                29%

Uruguay         13th                24%

Ecuador         46th                21%

Mexico          9th                 18%

Brazil             1st                  18%

Canada         38th               16%

Argentina     4th                 15%

USA               15th                8%

Rest of the World: Countries Ranking Among Most Excited

With the tournament being held next door in neighboring Qatar, Saudi Arabia ranked as the most excited team around the world with a high 33% positive score across Social Media.

In fact, Qatar is also among the most excited, with a positive score of 28%. Little wonder, given that they are the hosts.

Senegal has recently won the Africa Cup of Nations and the hype has not stopped with fans having a 31% positive sentiment score across the last 12 months. Supporters will be hoping that the in-form team led by the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, and Sadio Mane can better the nation’s previous best quarter-final finish.

Iran lies at the bottom with only 2% positive score.

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Saudi Arabia

Nation     (FIFA Ranking)   Positive

Saudi Arabia  49th              33%

Senegal          20th              31%

Qatar              51st               28%

Ghana            60th               27%

Cameroon      37th              26%

Japan             23rd              22%

Australia        42nd              22%

South Korea   29th              17%

Morocco          24th             9%

Tunisia            35th             5%

Iran                 21st             2%

For the first time, Iranian sportswear manufacturer provides Team Melli kit in the World Cup.

Iran’s national football team will participate in the World Cup for the first time in a Local-manufactured kit.

After holding a tender and receiving proposals from domestic and foreign manufacturers, the Football Federation FFIRI finally reached an initial agreement with an Iranian company, which had replaced Uhlsport GmbH the German sporting goods provider in the preliminary stages of the World Cup. The representative of this company, still unnamed but most probabli will be Majid, accompanied by  Majedi and Kamranifer will travel to Switzerland for a meeting with FIFA officials about the design, material requirements, terms and conditions of design and production of national team Kits. For the participation of teams in the World Cup.

Manufacturers must adhere to FIFA’s 92-page Equipment Regulation style guide when designing uniforms.

Kits worn in the World Cup, are subject to strict guidelines by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Everything from type sizes to logo placement on the players and what the referees and coaches can wear is covered in the 92-page Equipment Regulation style guide. According to FIFA, the purpose of the document is “to allow the manufacturers to enhance our sport through aesthetic creativity and design…in return, those parties are expected to follow the rules.” A peek into those rules shows that designing a uniform that both players and fans of a country, alike, will be proud to wear is tougher than you may think.

The local manufacturer released a red version of the home shirt earlier this year. Again, it is not known whether the kit will be worn during the 2022 World Cup.

Team Melli has participated in the past World Cups with Adidas (1978), Puma (2006, 1998), and Uhlsport (2014,2018), and it is the first time that an Iranian sports goods manufacturer will be supplying the kit.

Progress of Team Melli legionnaires in Europe

As if the shambolic status of football is not bad enough, the disappointing news from Europe has cast a shadow on Team Melli with less than 100 days to go to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Nine key Team Melli players are engaged in the European leagues plus a possible few more candidates for selection which Dragan Skocic has been keeping a close look at.

Jahanbakhsh, Azmoun, Taremi, Ansarifard, Hajsafy, Mohammadi, and Sayyadmanesh are the main squad players in addition to Alipour who is one of the strong contenders for selection.
Apart from Mehdi Taremi who has started the new league where he left off scoring a brace in the opening match, the news of the rest has been not encouraging and in many cases quite disappointing.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh, the Captain of Team Melli has been having a tough time since he moved to Feyenoord. His chances of continuing with the famous Dutch club are slim as he is turned from a promising start to a fringe player making cameo appearances for the club. It is safe to say that Jahanbakhsh has never fulfilled his potential with Brighton and now it seems that the story is repeating itself in the Dutch league with Feyenoord.

Sardar Azmoun is a similar story in the Bundesliga. Unlike his brilliant displays and goal-scoring traits in the Russian league, the leading forward of Team Melli is finding life tough in German football as he has been struggling with Leverkusen. It will not be long before Azmoun becomes a bench player with the way things are progressing unless he drastically improves.

Mehdi Taremi has no such problem as his country teammates and seems to be enjoying his time with FC Porto who are leading the Portuguese table with 2 wins out of 2. Despite the disappointment of not being sought by major European Clubs in the transfer market as some of his teammates have succeeded in, Taremi seems to be content with doing his job in Portugal and enhancing his reputation in the process.

Allahyar Sayadmanesh who plays for the second-tier English league club has shown enough promise for the club to buy him outright after a loan spell from Fenerbahce. Hull City is leading the Championship table with two wins out of two. Sayyadmanesh is hoping to make a real impression in order for Dragan Skocic to dislodge Ansarifard and pick the young forward for the World Cup.

Karim Ansarifard’s case is perhaps the most disappointing. The Greek club AEK Athens has been having difficulty finding a buyer for the unwanted Ansarifard. It seems that the much-traveled forward is on the move again after a disappointing in the 2021/22 season where he played 29 matches but scored 4 goals only.

Milad Mohammadi and Ehsan Hajsafy seem to have better fortune with AEK Athens. Although the new season has not started yet, it seems that the club intended to keep the two Iranians in their squad for 2022/23 season.

Amir Abedzadeh is experiencing his second season with the second-tier Spanish league club Ponferradina. Although the season has not started yet, Abedzadeh played well for the team and managed to make 35 appearances for the club.

Saman Ghoddos has been perhaps the most disappointing of the lot playing for Brentford, or at least trying to play. He was an unused substitute in his club’s brilliant performance in destroying Manchester United 4-0 on Saturday. All 5 Brentford were used in the demolishing of Man Utd but Ghoddos was nowhere to be seen. He was not even on the bench for the first match against Leicester City on the opening day of the English Premier League. It seems that his days in Brentford are numbered.

Ali Alipour is another forward lurking in the shadow of the big boys of Team Melli.  The 26 years old forward has changed club this season moving to Gil Vicente in the Portuguese League. He started the new season well by scoring in the first match. Alipour is a real contender for a place on the plane to Doha comes the World Cup.

Pashazadeh :”Turmoil in Team Melli camp, is the result of weak leadership”

The story of the sacking of Skocic and then a U-turn by the federation is still reverberating in Iran and across many other countries. It has sent a shock wave among senior footballers and former Team Melli players, who one after another criticized both the federation and some players for their unseemly act against the coach who qualified them for the World Cup 2022

One of those who voiced his disdain at what is happening is the Former Team Melli defender Mehdi Pashazadeh. In an interview with Mehr News, he said  ”  These events have done nothing but harm to the reputation of Iranian football and our standing in the international arena is becoming subject of ridicule, especially amongst our World Cup opponents. Those who caused and create these situations can wait and see what is the end results of their behavior in Qatar.”

The former national football player said: “After the departure of Wilmots, the national team was in a precarious and tricky situation, and at that time, few people were willing to risk their career and reputation to take over the leadership of the national team on the brink of elimination from the World Cup. However, Skocic took that risk, which is precisely why he should be given much credit and respect. The results of the qualifiers with Wilmots were abnormal and it was clear that things were not going well in Team Melli camp. Under normal circumstances, obtaining such results was beyond belief. However, with the same squad under heavy pressure, Skocic was able to lead Team Melli to the World Cup. If his services were not required beyond that, it should have been done immediately but honorably after the qualification, with a new plan in mind, and a stronger coach should have been chosen. Especially since our qualification to the World Cup was confirmed halfway through and there was an ample opportunity to plan ahead and negotiate contracts”

 

Pashazadeh continued: “Unfortunately, Skocic was not treated correctly. Once they decided in their own mind that he was not competent, they fired him but after 10 days they retained him again, and this act was detrimental to the personality and reputation of this coach or any other coach for that matter.  Personally, if I were Skocic, I would not have come back after these behaviors.”

The former Bayer 04 Leverkusen , SC Fortuna Köln (Germany), SK Rapid Wien, and SK Sturm Graz (Austria) player concluded ” These problems have appeared in our football recently as a result of weak leadership at the head of football in recent years, and this mismanagement has directly reflected on Team Melli and of course other national teams in the junior and lower age groups. Allowing players to bad-mouth coaches and dictate whom they want is the beginning of the demise.”