Tag: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

12 years later it is confirmed that Ahmadinejad fired Ali Daei!

 in April 2009, after  Team Melli’s defeat against Saudi Arabia in the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010  qualifiers, it was suddenly announced that Ali Daei, the head coach of the Team, had been fired. The dismissal came while the Iranian team still had a good chance to advance to the World Cup, but with the dismissal of Daei and the presence of Afshin Ghotbi, Team Melli finally failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa and experienced a major setback.

Daei had repeatedly stated after the incident that his dismissal had nothing to do with the Football Federation and that institutions higher than the federation had decided to fire him. Although this claim was initially denied by the then president of the Football Federation, Ali Kafashian, over time, various interviews with federation officials and members of the national team at the time confirmes Daei’s claims.

However, today, Saturday, Mohammad Akhundi, who was the spokesman for the Physical Education Organization at the time, confirmed that the dismissal of Ali Daei, was a decision taken by the office of the Presidency and in particular the president himself (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad).

In this regard, Akhundi said “this decision was taken and announced in the presidential palace. They called me to announce the news, but I said that it was the responsibility of other people and the football federation to do so and not the PEO.” He added: “We refused to announce the dismissal of Ali Daei in the Physical Education Organization.”

The former spokesman for the Physical Education Organization, who was a guest in a radio program, was asked “Is it true that Ahmadinejad took that decision on his own?” He said: “What I know unofficially is that the President himself made this decision, but officially it came from the presidential Palace!. The justification for Daei’s dismissal was the pressure of public opinion, those around the group concluded that Ali was not to continue.

Akhundi was asked if Ali Daei’s dismissal was due to the fact that he did not allow Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to enter the locker room between the two halves of the Iran-Saudi game: “I have no information about this.” A former spokesman for the Physical Education Organization said: “That change (dismissal of Ali Daei) was wrong. If Daei continued, we would have probably qualified to the World Cup.”

ALi Daei lost his job because he would not allow the President into the dressing room.

Hossein Kazemi recalled what happened during the match between Team Melli and Saudi Arabia in the FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifiers at Azadi Stadium.

 

Ali Daei was the head coach of the team. Iran was leading by a Masoud Shojaei goal in the first half. At half-time, he was informed that the then President (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) wanted to enter the dressing room for an inspirational chat with the players and coaching staff, which is a highly unusual request under the circumstances.

Due to the sensitivity of the game and its importance for Iran’s qualification to the next round, Ali Daei, who saw this interruption as negative and might lead the players to lose focus, rejected Ahmadinejad’s request and preferred if it was done after the final whistle.

Hossein Kazemi, who was playing in the midfield in that match said: “We lost the game after the Saudi’s came from behind and scored two goals. It was our only loss under Daei, yet Ali Daei was dismissed from his post that same evening.”

Iran failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2010 held in South Africa.

Another turtle pace progress in Privatization.

For the last two decades, subsequent governments in Iran have promised that Persepolis and Esteghlal clubs will be privatized and handed over to the private sector.

The Privatization saga first started in the tenure of President Mohammed Khatami, however, he left without much progress on the issue. The next President, Ahmadinejad, a passionate football fan, was the most enthusiastic supporter of this project and many thought Persepolis and Esteghlal will finally escape from total government control and be run as a proper and professional sports club.

Ahmadinejad, left and like many of his projects, the clubs privatization never saw the light of the day.  Hassan Rouhani, seen by many as a pragmatic and relatively liberal president took over. Like his predecessor, Rouhani was a strong football supporter who also liked to see the two most popular clubs privatized.

 So far, what culminated from the government’s Privatization project is nothing but false promises and heartaches for the fans.  Every now and then, the Ministry of youth and sports pops up with statements, further plans and more promises to keep the fans quiet. The timing that the authorities pick to talk about its Privatization project and normally coincides with periods of public discontent with the government and economy in Iran. Recently, Iran has experienced deadly countrywide protests against the authorities for huge increases in fuel prices.

The latest promise in this saga is the recent Youth and Sports statement of the transfer of the two stadiums (basically, training facilities) in Darfeshifar and Marghoubkar and their registration in the name of the two clubs Esteghlal and Persepolis.

ISNA quoting the Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Taghizadeh, said “this transfer has been the most effective privatization steps during this recent years,” He also added “Persepolis Club has carried out brand registration operations for forty-five brands  with Corporate Registration Bureau and we are looking forward to the same step to be taken by Esteghlal”

“ So far we have held nineteen meetings with the managers of the Privatization Organization and Stock Exchange for the transfer of the two stadiums and the brand registration of Esteghlal and Persepolis clubs as assets. It has been the most effective privatization steps during this period. “

Taghizadeh said at the end: “The trademark registration is one of the most important programs of Privatization to the concerned organizations and so far Persepolis Club has successfully carried out brand registration operations.”

Iran’s bi-polar football where everything starts and ends with the two famous Tehran clubs. Persepolis and Esteghlal have been siphoning millions of dollars from government budgets since the revolution. The regime, being careful of the political sensitivity and the popularity of these two clubs hence their clear influence on the masses, have turned blind eyes on the amount of chronic corruption and mismanagement existing in these two clubs by executives and managers who are sanctioned and appointed by the government itself.