Tag: Hassan Rowshan

Challenges Facing Team Melli and Iranian Football: A Deep Dive into Management, Performance, and Future Prospects

The dust has temporarily settled after the intense criticism that followed Team Melli’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Amir Ghalenoei, the national team coach, and the players found themselves under fire from the media, critics, and fans alike. This debate extended beyond football, touching on sensitive issues such as patriotism, loyalty, and politics. Social media is rife with claims that the current national team no longer represents the Iranian people, with a growing sentiment that it lacks widespread support.

There was also criticism within the team as Sardar Azmoun, the savior of Team Melli against Kyrgyzstan with a splendid winner, admitted that Team Melli lacks professional mentality after the match.

Discontent with Team Performance

A key source of dissatisfaction is Team Melli’s underwhelming performances, particularly in the second halves of matches. Both North Korea and Kyrgyzstan managed to score two goals each against Iran’s fragile defense, and only the woodwork prevented Korea from securing an equalizer. These second-half collapses have left many fans frustrated.

However, much of the criticism has been directed at Amir Ghalenoei himself. His appointment after Carlos Queiroz’s departure following the 2022 World Cup was controversial. Ghalenoei’s tenure has been marked by strained relations with critics and a lack of public rapport. Instead of addressing concerns about his defensive strategies with confidence, Ghalenoei has accused his detractors of unpatriotic behavior or personal grudges—an approach that has done little to calm tensions but much to turn the former Esteghlal player and coach into a hated figure.

Prominent Critics Speak Out

Ghalenoei’s critics include high-profile media figures and former Team Melli coaches. Jalal Cheragpour , former Team Melli coach, has openly stated that Ghalenoei is not up to the job and should be replaced before the next World Cup. TV anchor Javad Khiabani launched impassioned critiques, highlighting the lack of professionalism and etiquette among some national team players, which he deemed unfit for international representation.

Ebrahim Ghasempour, a member of Iran’s 1978 World Cup team, who played with legends such as Ghleechkhani, Hejazi, Rowshan, Parvin, has also weighed in on the broader issues afflicting Iranian football. He cited systemic failures in both club and national setups, emphasizing that the foundations of Iranian football are weak.

Systemic Issues in Iranian Football

Ghasempour pointed to poor management and the absence of proper infrastructure as critical challenges. “The backbone of our national team is our clubs, but they face a myriad of problems,” he explained. He criticized the performances of Iran’s premier clubs, Persepolis and Esteghlal, in recent Asian competitions, where they struggled against relatively weaker teams. Esteghlal, for example, failed to beat Al-Rayyan, a second-tier Qatari club.

The veteran footballer highlighted a troubling trend: Iran’s failure to achieve results in international competitions across all levels. From the senior national team’s empty-handed returns from the AFC Asian Cup to the U23 team’s failure to qualify for the Olympics, Iranian football has struggled to make a mark.

Mismanagement and Wasted Resources

According to Ghasempour, decades of mismanagement have left Iranian football stagnant. Clubs lack proper tools and infrastructure, despite significant financial resources flowing into the sport, mainly from the government. These funds are often misallocated or squandered. For example, grassroots development in clubs like Foolad Khuzestan and Sepahan exists in name only, as few academy graduates are promoted to senior teams.

This lack of a pipeline has also affected Esteghlal and Persepolis, Iran’s most popular clubs. Despite their large fan bases, these teams rarely field players from their own academies. Instead, they spend billions of tomans on player salaries without seeing a proportional return on investment.

Ghasempour lamented the poor quality of players and astronomical wages, stating, “A player earning 40 or 50 billion tomans often lacks basic skills, like passing accurately to a teammate. These contracts need serious scrutiny.”

The Path Forward

Ghasempour believes the solution lies in overhauling football management at every level, from the Football Federation to local clubs. He called for competent skilled leaders with practical plans to take charge, rather than the current nepotistic system where posts are handed to relatives and close friends. “If we want to elevate Iranian football, we must start at the top,” he concluded. “Only then can we hope for real growth.”


Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai is the next destination for Azmoun.

After much speculation and anticipation, it appears that Sardar Azmoun’s next football chapter will unfold in the vibrant city of Dubai, rather than in Sevilla, Spain.

While no official announcements have been made by either the player or the clubs involved, numerous news outlets, including both Iranian and Emirati papers, have cited Fabrizio Romano’s account of Azmoun’s move to Shabab Al-Ahli as a reliable source. According to Romano, the Iranian striker is set to undergo a medical examination in Dubai after arriving there next Monday.

This marks the end of Azmoun’s European adventure. Having enjoyed successful years in Russia, particularly with Zenit St. Petersburg, his career trajectory took a downturn upon joining Bayer Leverkusen, where he struggled to make a significant impact. A subsequent loan spell at AS Roma, under the management of Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, failed to rejuvenate his career. Ultimately, Azmoun found himself surplus to requirements at Leverkusen, with coach Alonso deeming him unfit both mentally and physically for the champion team.

Interestingly, Bayer Leverkusen clinched the Bundesliga title last season even in Azmoun’s absence, going undefeated throughout the campaign.

Shabab Al-Ahli: A Destination for Iranian Talent

Shabab Al-Ahli holds a special place in the hearts of Iranian football enthusiasts. Over the years, it has been a preferred destination for Iranian players seeking new challenges. Notable legends such as Hassan Rowshan and Hassan Nazari showcased their best football in the late seventies while donning the Al-Ahli jersey.

In the early 2000s, another Iranian icon, Ali Karimi, graced the Al Ahli ranks, finishing as the league’s top scorer in the 2003-04 season and earning the title of Asian Footballer of the Year in 2004.

More recently, players like Mehdi Ghayedi and Ahmad Noorallahi have represented Shabab Al-Ahli. The club itself emerged from the merger of two Dubai-based clubs, Al-Ahli and Al-Shabab in 2017. Owned by Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Shabab Al-Ahli boasts a rich footballing history and continues to be a prominent force in the UAE football scene.

The club’s head coach is the Portuguese Paulo Sousa. The former Benfica, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, and Inter Milan player amongst other Europen clubs also managed teams such as QPR , Leicester City and Poland national team.

AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 review

The draw for the 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international men’s football championship of Asia organized by AFC was held hours ago in Doha, Qatar.

The Main football championship in Asia is delayed by over a year due to a combination of AFC short-sightedness and the unreliability of the Chinese authorities. China was supposed to hold its second AFC Asian Cup tournament after the successful one in 2004 but a series of events and circumstances surrounding COVID lockdown in China has meant that the most prestigious tournament of the continent was not going to be held in China. Qatar, as reliable as ever, and beaming from the fresh success of golding the biggest tournament in the World, FIFA World Cup 2022 came to the rescue.

Parviz Ghaleechkhani lifts the Asian Cup for the third time in Tehran 1976.

 

The draw ceremony was held with the coaches of all teams present. Amir Ghalenoei is experiencing his second presence in the AFC Asian Cup since his lone appearance in Malaysia back in 2007. Ghalenoei hops for a much more successful tournament this time to compensate for the bitter failure in Malaysia. Iran has failed to lift the trophy since it won it three times in a row in 1968, 1972, and 1976., Also present was the ever-familiar face of Carlos Queiroz who failed to lift the trophy with Iran in two attempts in 2015 Australia and 2019 UAE. This time the Portuguese coach will try with Qatar who are now the defending champions.

However, Ghalenoei’s mission is far from easy as his biggest challenge remains in dealing with an aging team left by Queiroz. Iran was the oldest team in the last World Cup.

In Group C, Iran is joined by familiar opponents in UAE, Hong Kong, and Palestine. This is on paper at least. one of the easiest groups of the Asian Cup for Iran in recent tournaments. None of the three teams have managed to defeat Iran in an official competition, although the UAE managed a win in Abudhabi in a friendly 26 years ago in September 1997.

TEAM MP W D L GF GA GD
UAE 18 14 3 1 26 4 +22
HONG KONG 6 6 0 0 14 1 13
PALESTINE 6 3 3 0 16 4 +12
  30 23 6 1 56 9 +47

Barring a disaster, there is little doubt that Team Melli will make it through to the knockout stages that Iran has always managed to qualify to expect in Japan back in 1992. The problem starts at later stages with stronger opposition. Iran will remain one of the top contenders for the title with Japan remaining the favorite, followed by Australia and South Korea.

Ali Parvin lifted Asian Cup in 1976 with Hassan Rowshan

Despite the games not starting until December, Ghalenoei might consider that as not adequate time to create a strong team that can challenge East Asians. Such is football nowadays, that preparation times for national teams are quite limited specifically for those national teams that have players playing abroad in Europe. There is no excuse for Team Melli as there are teams in worse conditions than them so that needs to be addressed and not to be used as an excuse. A major big challenge with Ghalenoei, however,  is the administration.

The FFIRI is not exactly a beacon of outstanding management nor is it even a proper organization ruled by processes and planning. It is run by a group of ill-qualified personnel placed there based on their allegiance rather than competency. and if Ghalenoei needs to get things done, there will have to be a lot of personal effort and sacrifices as this football federation is unreliable and incompetent as ever. Last time over, Ghalenoi was more frustrated with the organization than anything else which lead to his early resignation from his post after the quarter-final elimination in Kuala Lumpur in 2007. Perhaps, this time over, his diplomacy, experience, patience, and older wiser age will make him much more capable to handle the difficulties and hardships. Perhaps this coach after so many failed attempts by his predecessors,  can fulfill a mission that has eluded this soccer-mad nation for 47 years.

Mehdi Ghaedi is heading to Dubai.

According to the Abu Dhabi Sports Network, Mehdi Ghaedi, Esteghlal, and Team Melli forward has signed with Shabab Al-Ahli club of Dubai.

While there is a lack of official and definite confirmation, it seems that Abu Dhabi Sports Network reported TV show “Al Share Al Riyadhi” which previously broke the news of Ahmad Nourollahi’s transfer, has come up with yet another exclusive this time with the breaking of the news of Ghaedi joining Shabab Al-Ahli.

Esteghlal CEO Ahmad Madadi had traveled to the UAE a few days ago for final negotiations with Shabab Al-Ahli officials, but some Emirati media outlets had reported that Esteghlal’s condition for selling Ghaedi was his availability for the Quarter Final match of AFC Champions League game against Al-Hilal, after which Ghadei will be released to Shabab Al-Ahli.

It is said that Esteghlal Club will receive more than $ 2 million by selling Ghaedi. Previously, Persepolis midfielder Ahmad Nourollahi had joined Shabab Al-Ahli.

Shabab Al-Ahli is one of the most successful clubs in the UAE and plays in  ADNOC Pro League. UAE’s premier division. In 2017, the Dubai CSC and Al Shabab merged within Al Ahli FC making Shabab Al Ahli FC. This club has a long track record of acquiring the services of Iranian players from the 70’s. Players such as Hassan Nazari, Hassan Rowshan, Ali Karimi, Javad Kazemian, Milad Meydavoudi, and Mehrzad Madanchi have played for Al-Ahli.

The club belongs to Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Emirates of Dubai, and is practically run by his children.

Omid Alishah : a star in the making.

The young man from Sari , Mazanderan has been making headlines in Iranian football since his arrival at Persepolis from Rah Ahan.

The 23 years old who started his professional football at Nasaji before moving to Tehran with Naft, has been a regular in several age level Team Melli teams. Playing on the flanks and at times in the midfield , he has a remarkable ability to out run his opponents , a burst of speed that is second to none , and  classic dribbling skills.

Alishah came under prominence in Rah Ahan under Ali Daei who quickly identified the skills and ability of the young player promoting him to the first team and giving him much playing time ahead of senior players. Alishah did not disappoint and for the two seasons he was in Rah Ahan , he played 39 matches and scored 9 goals which is considered well above average for a player at his age in Iran.

In 2013 , Ali Daei  then Persepolis coach, managed to take  Alishah with him where he continued displaying his magic and goals. Alishah has been known to score some spectacular goals to compliment his other skills.

With attributes that are close to Hassan Rowshan and Mehdi Mahdavikia, having  similar physique to the two Team Melli legends , Alishah can terrorize his markers , out running and out maneuvering them with ease. His finishing is also not bad either.

Despite his undeniable talent, Alishah is one notorious diver, which mars his immaculate play. He has recovered numerous yellow cards for diving in league games and also received marching orders for this lack of honesty.

Alishah has been picked by Queiroz for the first time in Team Melli for the two matches against Guam and India. He can be the perfect replacement for the departed Shaojei and the out of favor Khalatbary. If only he plays his cards right, this young man has plenty of talent to make him a star.