Tag: Mehdi Taremi

Arsenal ‘interested in Mehdi Taremi transfer’ with Porto willing to sell Iran striker after World Cup as Jesus back-up

ARSENAL are reportedly interested in signing Mehdi Taremi as back-up for Gabriel Jesus.

And a deal could be on in January with Porto willing to sell the striker after the World Cup. A Bola claims Taremi, 30, has fired his way onto Mikel Arteta’s shortlist with seven goals and six assists in 11 games.

The Iran international is in his third season with Porto. And Taremi, who has a total of 56 strikes for the Portuguese giants, has already been linked with a move to Chelsea.

But it’s Arsenal who are reportedly leading the race this winter.

Sporting director Edu Gaspar usually only targets players under the age of 30.

But he is apparently willing to break his own rule this once in order to sign Taremi for title-chasing Arteta.

The Brazilian has five goals and four assists since his £45million switch from Manchester City.

And Arteta reckons only Taremi would be able to carry the torch in case of a setback in the second half of the campaign.

The striker’s representatives have already told Porto he is considering a change of scenery at the start of 2023. Sergio Conceicao’s side are no strangers to doing business in the winter market, with Luis Diaz joining Liverpool last January. And Porto are open to letting Taremi go for the right price.

But the ace will first strut his stuff for Iran at the World Cup, with their opening match in Group B against none other than Gareth Southgate’s England. Arsenal currently sit top of the table after beating Liverpool 3-2 on Sunday.

Taremi on the move as Arsenal ‘committed’ to winter move for Porto man.

Arsenal are preparing to make a bid for FC Porto and Team Melli striker Mehdi Taremi, according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola.

After a season of Mikel Arteta choosing between Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, and Eddie Nketiah, the Spaniard now has Gabriel Jesus leading the line.

The Brazilian’s Gunners career has got off to a tremendous start, while Nketiah plays second fiddle in the Premier League. Nketiah is expected to get the nod in the Europa League and Carabao Cup, however.

The young Englishman was actually expected to depart Arsenal in the summer with his contract expiring, but he had a change of heart and decided to commit his future to his boyhood club. He was given the famous No. 14 shirt and always knew that Arteta was on the search for a new striker who would likely be his first choice.

 Nketiah doesn’t see it as him versus Jesus and knows there will be a lot of “opportunities” to play this season. “He’s (Jesus) a great player,” Nketiah said. “He’s good to play alongside and watch. He’s had a really good start and he’s a great guy off the pitch so I’m really happy for him.

You would not expect Arteta to delve into the transfer market in January to sign a new striker, barring an injury crisis.

However, it has been reported that the Gunners are keen on Porto’s Mehdi Taremi.

The Iranian has started 2022/23 very well, netting seven and assisting a further six in 11 appearances across all competitions. He is yet to get off the mark in the Champions League this term after being sent off against Atletico Madrid on matchday one.

The 30-year-old did assist both of his side’s goals against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night, though. It is according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via Sport Witness) that Arsenal are ‘committed’ to signing Taremi in the January transfer window. It is said that English clubs were keen on signing the experienced striker in the summer.

Taremi’s representatives are keen for their client to move on after he plays in the World Cup for Iran. Porto are ‘willing to negotiate and are hoping for a similar transaction to last year when they sold Luis Diaz to Liverpool.

Chelsea are also given a mention by the newspaper.

Iran players in political turmoil.

Iran are the minnows of England’s World Cup group – but are ranked 20th in the world and boast Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi in their ranks… so can Carlos Queiroz’s side cause an unlikely upset amid political turmoil back home?

  • Iran will face England on November 21 in the 2022 World Cup’s second game
  • ‘Team Melli’ are only three spots under Wales, who are ranked 19th in the world (correction: one spot under Wales)
  • Iranian players have recently voiced their support for protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was held in custody by ‘morality police’
  • Many fans wonder if players will speak out on an international stage such as the World Cup, at the potential risk of never going back to their home country
  • Star forwards like Bayer Leverkusen’s Sardar Azmoun, and Mehdi Taremi, of FC Porto, have led their support for more recognition of women’s rights in Tehran
  • Carlos Queiroz will guide Iran to their third consecutive World Cup since 2014

By ALASTAIR TALBOT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

However, for the Iranian men’s soccer team, it’s impossible not to mesh both together amid chaos on the streets of Tehran just weeks prior to the start of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where the 22nd-ranked team in FIFA’s World Rankings will face England, Wales and the USA in Group B.

Over the last month, extreme suppression established by Iran’s moral police, known as the ‘Islamic Religious Police,’ led to the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini, while she was held in custody.

She had been arrested for allegedly covering her head with a compulsory headscarf too loosely. Iran is currently one of the three governments using the title Islamic republic in its official naming.

In response, several star players, including Bayer Leverkusen’s Sardar Azmoun, and Mehdi Taremi, of FC Porto, made their silence known on Instagram by blacking out their profile pictures prior to the team’s final friendly against Senegal in September in Austria.

The Football Federation Islamic Republic (FFIR) of Iran had also attempted to quieten down political turmoil back home by banning fans from watching the team, as ‘Team Melli’ drew 1-1 in an empty stadium in Vienna.

Rumors had also linked the FFIR with attempting to arrange a warmup game against Russia in November. Both countries are already closely tied diplomatically due to the Ukraine war, which has made Iran and Russia allies in economic isolation.

And in late September, FIFA was urged to ban Iran from the World Cup over its sporadic recognition of women’s rights. It wasn’t long ago that Iranian women were finally allowed to watch their national team play for the first time since 1979 after pressure from international governing bodies football around the world.

‘The Islamic Republic’s authorities and its football federation must not be given the honor of participating in football’s finest tournament while it is killing its citizens on our streets,’ the Open Stadiums group – a movement of Iranian Women seeking to end discrimination and let women attend stadiums – said in a statement.

The non-profit called on FIFA to stand by its mission to promote and give light to those in need of ‘all internationally recognized human rights.’

FIFA has not yet responded to Open Stadium’s request but the world’s leading football governing body expelled Russia from the upcoming World Cup for similar reasons due to ‘irreparable and chaotic’ harm that could threaten the tournament in Qatar, as diplomatic tensions between NATO countries and Russia continue.

Iran, though, should not fret for its place in Doha, which is located right across the Persian Gulf water, as the World Cup starts on November 20.

The FFIRI should rather worry about its players’ stance in Qatar as the world’s most watched sporting competition will provide them a platform to potentially speak about the political disorder in the country.

Star striker Azmoun, who has 41 goals in 65 games for his country, has already defied the federation’s orders by sharing a now-deleted post to his 4.9million followers on Instagram in which he says ‘that I am no longer able to tolerate silence.’

He added that being excluded from the squad traveling to Doha would be ‘a small price to pay for even a single strand of Iranian women’s hair.’

The 27-year-old’s national teammates seemed to agree with his reaction, as they all wore black jackets that covered up their national team badge while the Iranian national anthem was playing in their last match against Senegal.

Furthermore, prolific striker Mehdi Taremi shared on Instagram after the September friendly that he felt ‘ashamed’ to see violent footage filmed in Iran showing women’s persecution in public.

Protests in Iran seem to be growing by the week as many activists don’t want to only push for more rights for women but also a government overthrow that has seen the country under clerical establishment the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Cries for help could be heard in Qatar, when Iran will take on England in what will only be the second game of the World Cup on November 21.

The Three Lions and the Star and Stripes will have to be wary against ‘Team Melli’ with the AFC side labeled as ‘minnows’ going into the tournament but in reality are only 0ne spot below Wales, who are currently ranked 19th in the world by FIFA.

After months of speculation, Carlos Queiroz came back to the fold to coach a side that he has found much success with after guiding them to their third consecutive World Cup – an first-time achievement for the country after Brazil in 2014 and Russia 2018.

Sardar Azmoun will lead Iran’s attack as he aims to surpass Iran’s legend Ali Daei’s 109 goals. Azmoun, 27, has 41 goals in 65 games and sits third in the all-time goal-scoring charts for Iran

Under the former Manchester United No 2, Iran had their best World Cup display in Russia, beating Morocco and tying with Portugal before losing against Spain to collect four points and narrowly crashing out as the team was unable to qualify for the 2018 knockout stages.

However, the former Portugal and Real Madrid coach replaced Dragan Skocic in September, giving himself a little more than two months to decide on his 26-man squad traveling to Doha ahead of the November 13th deadline.’This is our first step towards preparing for the World Cup,’ the 69-year-old said in Austria during the team’s preparation matches against Uruguay (1-0 win) and Senegal. ‘We will do our best both on and off the field to get ready for the competition. It’s our responsibility to improve the conditions and make progress and always move forward,’ Queiroz further told Iranian state-controlled press outlets.

Carlos Queiroz has a respected record with the Iranian national team, managing 100 matches, with 60 wins, 27 draws, and 13 defeats. Other than seven new faces in the latest squad in Austria, 16 out of 23 players went to Russia nearly four years ago, including 35-year-old Omid Ebrahimi.
The defensive midfielder, who has played his club football for Qatari-side Al Wakrah since 2021, was a force in Queiroz’s 2018 lineup but has barely featured for his country in the last three years, as his last appearance for Iran was in November 2019.

Another pillar in the Iranian side other than Azmoun and Taremi is goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, who currently plays for Persepolis in Iran after stints in Europe for Boavista in Portugal and Royal Antwerp in Belgium. Promising 21-year-old youngster Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, who plays for Hull City, will surely be behind the prolific Taremi in the striker’s pecking order, as Queiroz prefers a 4-2-31 or 4-3-3 formation with a lone attacker up top surrounded by wingers.The forward was recently named as one of the 60 best young talents in world soccer by The Guardian. Sayyadmanesh plays for Hull

‘As a professional coach, I know that all teams in the world have progressed,’ Queiroz recently said. ‘We will also do our best to face our opponents in Qatar and will be fully prepared for the campaign.’ Azmoun and Taremi will look to add goals to their personal records as both are currently third and seventh respectively among Iran’s all-time top goal scorers, as now retired striker Ali Daei, who played for Armeni Bielefeld, Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin, tops the list with 109 goals in 149 games between 1993 and 2006.

Ehsan Hajsafi, the team’s captain, will be featuring at his third World Cup since first being selected to represent Iran in 2008. The AEK Athens left-back has 121 caps for his country and is only 30 shy of record-holder Javad Nekounam – 151 caps – who is now retired. Brentford’s Saman Ghoddos is the only current Iranian featuring in the English Premier League after winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh moved to Dutch side Feyenoord last year from Brighton. Both are expected to start for their country in their first game against England.

And although expectations are low for the Islamic Republic, Iran are the highest-ranked Asian team in Qatar and previously appeared five times in the edition of the World Cup in its history (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018). The team holds a distinct rivalry with South Korea as both fight for the most AFC Asian Cups along with Japan. The competition is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América and Iran hold three titles.

Iran’s journey to qualify for the 2022 World Cup went relatively smoothly by topping Group A after being drawn with Iraq, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Bahrain.

Skocic spearheaded the Iranians to the World Cup finals and won 15 of his 18 games at the helm of the Middle Eastern side after taking over as the full-time replacement for Marc Wilmots, who put the team at real risk from losing out on qualifications after draws and losses against Bahrain and Iraq. Iran became the thirteenth team to qualify for Qatar after a 1–0 win against Iraq at home in its roughly 79,000-seater Azadi Stadium in January.

‘The Persian Stars’ will face England on November 21, before playing against Wales four days later before taking on the US for the first time since 1998 in what was once dubbed as a ‘politically charged game in World Cup history.

Iran’s most recent squad

Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Payam Niazmand (Sepahan), Amir Abedzadeh (Ponferradina), Hossein Hosseini (Esteghal).

Defenders: Sadegh Moharrami (Dinamo Zagreb), Ehsan Hajsafi (captain, AEK Athens), Aref Gholami (Esteghlal), Shojae Khalilzadeh (Al-Ahli), Milad Mohammadi (AEK Athens), Morteza Pouraliganji (Persepolis), Hossein Kanaanizadegan (Al-Ahli), Saleh Hardani (Esteghal), Majid Hosseini (Kayserispor), Abolfazl Jalali (Esteghal), Omid Noorafkan (Sepahan), Ramin Rezaeian (Sepahan).

Midfielders: Saeid Ezatolahi (Vejle), Saman Ghoddos (Brentford), Milad Sarlak (Persepolis), Ahmad Nourollahi (Shabab Al-Ahli), Omid Ebrahimi (Al-Wakrah).

Forwards: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord), Mehdi Taremi (FC Porto), Karim Ansarifard (Omania), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis), Mehdi Torabi (Persepolis), Ali Gholizadeh (Charleroi), Sardar Azmoun (Bayern 04 Leverkusen).

The football battle of Azmoun and Taremi in UEFA Champions League.

Porto
04. Oct.2022

The much-anticipated clash between the two forwards of Team Melli in the UEFA Champions League ended as a one-sided affair in favor of Mehdi Taremi.

Sardar Azmoun simply did not turn up!

Mehdi Taremi played for 90 minutes in Stadio Dragao for FC Porto against Azmoun’s Bayer Leverkusen on Day 3 of the UCL, while Azmoun was an unused substitute. Taremi continued his splendid form and continued where he left off against Braga in the league where he provided 3 assists in a 4-1 win for Porto.

Against Leverkusen, he provided both the assists for his team’s goals and was denied by VAR for a splendid goal in the second half. There was nothing wrong with the goal with a counter-attacking move started by Taremi and finished by him. which came from a quick counter-attack as Porto’s keeper cleverly found Taremi. The Team Melli forward ran at least 30 yards before passing to his winger and receiving it back via another Porto player. Taremi scored past Hradecky inside the six-yard box with a lunging finish. The English referee Anthony Taylor disallowed the goal as a handball was committed in Porto’s box by a defender before reaching the ball to Diogo Costa in Porto’s goal.

in the 69th minute, Taremi receives the ball out wide from Galeno, lifts his head, and sends an inch-perfect cross to Zaidu at the far post. The Porto defender uses his pace in the cross to score 1-0 Porto.

Minute 86 Taremi drives with the ball in the box for a few yards before sliding Galeno through for a brilliant goal-scoring chance. The Porto winger did not have even to take a touch to settle himself before shooting due to the accuracy and perfect pace of the pass. 2-0 for Port and that was the end result. MEDI TAREMI with two clinical assists.

Taremi has been involved in four goals in his last five UEFA Champions League appearances at the Stadio Dragao (two goals and two assists), including assisting the winner for FC Porto’s last home win in UCL against AC Milan in Oct 2021.
Taremi was absent from his side’s 4-0 drubbing at home to Club Brugge last time out through suspension,

As for Azmoun, the face-to-face with Taremi did not materialize as he has been a peripheral player under coach Gerardo Seoane who much prefers Schick up front.

This one battle was settled for Taremi. The next round is the reverse fixture where Leverkusen will host Porto on Wednesday 12th Oct. Barring exceptional circumstances like injury, Taremi will be a starter for FC Porto. Now that the Czech forward Patrik Schich is suspended for that fixture, Azmoun might have shot in starting.

We shall see.

 

Iran hope to spin chaos into gold at World Cup with Queiroz’s comeback

John Duerden
Sun 25 Sep 2022 08.00 BST

Iran’s government is more involved than most in football – clubs are owned directly or indirectly by the state – but it keeps a closer eye than usual on the beloved national team at times of public unrest.

After the famous World Cup playoff win over Australia in 1997, the players were told to take their time coming home lest their presence pushes nationwide celebrations into something else.

The 2009 ‘Green Movement’ that sprang up to demonstrate against what was seen as a rigged presidential election led to a number of players wearing green armbands in a vital qualifier in Seoul. Within hours their pictures were being held up on the streets thousands of miles to the west.

Protestors are back on Iran’s streets after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody after she was arrested by the morality police on 13 September for “unsuitable attire”. If unrest continues, then any success at the World Cup, which is eight weeks away, may be viewed as a double-edged sword by authorities; and, if the latest international matches are anything to go by, then Iran are going to Qatar to be competitive against England, the USA and Wales who all lost.

In the first game since Carlos Queiroz returned as head coach this month, Team Melli beat Uruguay 1-0 in Austria. Thanks to international isolation and sanctions, it is rare that Iran play such opposition in friendlies, but this only highlights that this is one of the country’s best results in years. It is all the more impressive as it comes after months of chaos, infighting, and interference.

It started with being drawn with England and the USA. From Iran’s point of view, there could not have been two bigger and more symbolic opponents.

These are two nations with deep involvement in the modern history of one of the world’s oldest civilizations and which are held responsible for the 1953 coup that overthrew the democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh.

They are two nations that are still seen as being behind many of the problems that the country, beset by sanctions internationally and unrest at home, is facing and two national teams that present formidable opposition for one that had never progressed from the group stage in five World Cup appearances.

After the draw, however, with the group rivals all having homegrown managers, there were whispers that Iran should, for such symbolic games, have an Iranian coach.

Yet it was a Croatian, Dragan Skocic who took over in February 2020 and led the team through qualification with 15 wins in 18 games. On 9 July Iran’s volleyball team defeated Serbia in the Men’s Nations League. The following day a social media account of Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, reposted an old entry with a new title saying it was good to have success with an Iranian coach.

While it was later denied that this was expressing any opinion about what should happen with Team Melli, on 11 July Skocic was fired even though it seemed there were not enough board members around to sign the official document confirming his release. Reaction to the decision was mixed and even those not enamored of Skocic felt he had been treated poorly. Ali Daei was the frontrunner but quickly ruled himself out and other candidates did not set pulses racing.

Skocic was back on the job within a week but it was impossible to pretend that nothing had happened. The team was as split as public opinion. The striker Mehdi Taremi had an earlier falling out with the coach and led the contingent who wanted a change. It was even claimed that the Porto star and some teammates had met Iran’s minister of sports. Bayer Leverkusen’s Sardar Azmoun was the highest-profile backer of Skocic.

It was always going to be decided one way or the other at the end of August with the election of a new federation president. Mehdi Taj, who had been the president from 2016-19 and had worked with Queiroz, said openly he would consider bringing the former Real Madrid head coach back if he won.

Due to a lack of domestic options, Queiroz was seen as the next best thing; available and cheap, high-profile, familiar with the players and the politics, and more than capable of setting a team up to ensure there would be no World Cup embarrassments.

Skocic had earlier blamed “various interests” for trying to create tensions in the team but this time stayed quiet and focused on staying and securing his payout (sources have suggested that he allowed this to be set too low, making his dismissal fairly cheap). His supporters suggest there is some irony in a coach who successfully steered his team through qualification for the World Cup being replaced by one who failed with both Colombia and Egypt.

That will not bother Queiroz, a coach not averse to conflict and controversy. It was as if he had never left against Uruguay. Whatever the divisions in recent weeks, there did not seem to be a problem with team spirit, and Iran worked hard to frustrate the South Americans, snatching a late win. Taremi’s goal was a fine finish to a flowing move.

There are bigger issues at play right now in this football-loving country but after months of chaos, it could be that Team Melli have stumbled upon the right formula, even if it is a short-term one. At the very least Iran sent a message to the rest of Group B, not least to their first opponents, England.

Team Melli defeats Uruguay in a friendly international

The Portugues head coach Carlos Queiroz made a winning start to his second term in charge of Team Melli as Mehdi Taremi’s second-half goal earned his side a 1-0 win over fellow World Cup qualifiers Uruguay in St. Pölten, Austria on Friday. 

Although the overall assessment of the team under the new cum old Portuguese coach can be graded as average, there were some good points that Iran can positively take to the World Cup.

In the first half, Team Melli’s priority was to shut shop and keep their defenses tight for most of the half. Uruguay, which included its household names such as Luis Suarez , Darwin Nunez and Valverde, had most of the possession in the first half and launched attacks on Iran’s goal, but the solid defense of Team Melli stood up well to whatever the Uruguayns forwards offered. Darwin Nunez prompted Alireza Beiranvand to take action after 15 minutes when the Liverpool striker let fly from distance, forcing the Iranian goalkeeper to tip the ball over the bar.

Luis Suarez sought to lob Beiranvand in the 38th minute but his attempt sailed over while a later effort from the former Barcelona forward curled wide.

In a wise and logical thinking, Queiroz stuck to the tried and trusted duo of Shoja’a Khalizadeh and Hossein Kananizadegan who did not allow Beiranvand to be seriously threatened. On the other hand, Team Melli managed to reach the opponent’s penalty area on several occasions, but could not seriously threaten the goal of their South American opponent.

Uruguay side lost Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo to injury after he hobbled off with barely a minute on the clock clutching his groin.

The first half ended in a goalless draw as both teams lacked the punch to score.

The second half started like the first 45 minutes, with the Uruguayan national team having the majority of ball possession and controlling the midfield creating many chances to score, but in several scenes, Alireza Beiranvand thwarted their attempts .

The best opportunity for Iran to score was in the 65th minute when Mehdi Torabi in good teamwork with Saman Ghoddos breached the Uruguay defense and was close to opening the scoresheet. The final shot by Torabi was parried by Sergio Rochet the Uruguayan goalkeeper and on the second attempt, Torabi’s shot went wide of the goal.
Sardar Azmoun could not create any significant threat to the Uruguay goal until he was substituted. Alireza Jahanbakhsh started an attack, but the final shot by Ehsan Haji Safi was easily handled by Uruguay’s goalkeeper. In the 66th minute, Uruguay was on the verge of scoring, as Abedzadeh missed a cross from an Uruguay corner kick but the header from this team’s striker was cleared off the line by Mehdi Torabi.

Late in the match, Queiroz decided wisely to change the lineup to give the team some needed energy.  , He sent several players including Taremi and Ansarifard to the field in the last 20 minutes. These substitutions improved the situation for Team Melli and the result was decided by Taremi in the 79th minute.
The forward started and finished the move, feeding Saman Ghoddos on the left, and his pass through to Karim Ansarifard was played back into the path of Taremi who side-footed home to score the winning goal of the match and to the delight of the bench.

In the final minutes, Uruguay was looking to compensate for the lost goal and its hope was Suarez in the attack line. In the 89th minute, this player was preparing to shoot at Abedzadeh’s goal behind the penalty area, when Ezatollahi gave away a free kick in a dangerous area with a foul on Suarez. The resulting free kick hit the body of the Iranian defense and an opportunity went missing for the South Americans.

In the end, Queiroz managed to outfox Uruguay’s coach Diego Alonso and achieve a promising victory in Team Melli’s first of the two friendly international matches. This win is valuable for Queiroz as he has precious little time to prepare the team until the first game in the FIFA World Cup.

With England (vs Italy 0-1), Wales (vs Belgium 1-2), and the USA (vs Japan 0-2) all losing their matches in the international break, Iran’s hope and confidence to qualify from this group is certainly not that impossible.

IRAN   1-  0 URUGUAY

Venue: NV ARENA (St. Pölten)
Referee: Walter Altmann (Austria)
Half time : 0 – 0

Scorer: Mehdi Taremi (79′)
Yelloe card : Uruguay R. Bentancur (81′)

IRAN – A. Beiranvand (63′ Abedzadeh): S. Moharrami , S. Khalilzadeh, H. Kanani, A. Jalali(69’Noorafkan), E. Hajsafi, S. Ezatolahi, M. Torabi( 69′ A. Gholizadeh), S. Azmoun (68′ K. Ansarifard), S. Ghoddos (85’V. Amiri), A. Jahanbakhsh (68’M. Taremi)

URUGUAY -S. Rochet, D. Suárez (72’G. Varela), M. Olivera (85’M. Viña), R. Araújo (5’A. Rogel), S. Cáceres,M. Vecino (72’G. De Arrascaeta), R. Bentancur (85′ L. Torreira), F. Valverde , F. Pellistri (46’N. De La Cruz), L. Suárez, D. Núñez

Taremi is pursued by Chelsea.

The Sun Newspaper
London 31.Aug.2022

CHELSEA are lining up a beat-the-deadline move for Porto strike sensation Mehdi Taremi, according to reports.

The Iran international bagged 26 goals in 48 games as his club won the Portuguese league and cup double last season.

Mehdi Taremi's stunning bicycle kick goal against Chelsea came second in the 2021 Puskas awards

1
Mehdi Taremi’s stunning bicycle kick goal against Chelsea came second in the 2021 Puskas awards

Stamford Bridge boss Thomas Tuchel is desperately seeking reinforcements following the Blues’ poor start to the season.

They lost 2-1 at Southampton on Tuesday to slump to eighth in the Premier League. And Lisbon sports daily A Bola claims the German has targeted 30-year-old Taremi.

Under contract until 2024, the frontman is valued at £22million. The Iran ace is likely to face England at the World Cup finals in November.

He has 58 caps and 27 goals for his country.

All told Taremi has an impressive 53 goals from 101 Porto appearances.
He hit a stunning bicycle-kick winner as Porto beat Chelsea 1-0 in the Champions League in April 2021, although the Blues won the quarter-final 2-1 on aggregate.

The Persian goal machine was a bargain £4.25m buy from Portuguese side Rio Ave in 2020.
He previously played for three Iranian clubs and Qatari side Al-Gharafa.

Meanwhile, a Portuguese source claimed that Concesaou, the Porto Head Coach has threatened to resign if yet another of his strikers is sold.

Mehdi Taremi asks Vice President of Iran’s son for a tax exemption for his luxury car.

Is there a problem with the involvement of politicians in the luxury car entry permit?

The rebel group of players in the Team Melli camp led by Taremi has issued a public call on their social media pages demanding that the two most critical members of parliament cease interfering in football and Team Melli affairs!!

It is believed that this group has the backing of former FFIRI head Mehdi Taj, who has allegedly promised his followers in Team Melli that he will rid Team Melli of Skocic if he is elected.

While the statement lacks professional ethics and knowledge of how politics works, there is also a contradiction between the words and the deeds of those players, especially those supporting Mehdi Taj. Hassan Kamaranifar, hinted at this issue and demanded that players mind their own business and not interfere in what is not their job.

In yesterday’s statement by the players, parliamentarians and politicians have been asked to take care of people’s livelihood and attend to economic problems and leave football in the hands of football players, but there is no problem if the same MPs authorize funds from the public coffer to the Team Melli Players! Some of these players had recently joined politicians to advance their personal gains. One of them is Mehdi Taremi himself who admitted in his last interview that he held a meeting with the Vice President’s son to obtain a permit for the entry of his luxury cars without paying taxes and customs!!

In the midst of all the economic and livelihood problems of the Iranians, with a large percentage of them earning in a year what Taremi and other European-based players earn in a week, they have the audacity to ask for tax exemption for their luxury cars. It seems that such intervention is fine.

 

 

Mehdi Taremi, from hero to villain!

From the moment it was announced that Adel Ferdosipour had interviewed Mehdi Tarimi and that this discussion was going to be broadcast in cyberspace, it was clear that some of his statements would become controversial, divisive, and might very well create friction in the team and fans for a long time. As much as Taremi’s value as a striker is undeniable, his controversial talking is harmful to himself! In this case, the predictions came true and some of the topics raised by Taremi became the center of attention, criticism, and various conflicting opinions. He has already managed to create divisiveness & sedition.

This player, who had taken a stand against Dragan Skočić, becoming the spokesman for some other players as well, questioned Skocic’s competence in a conversation with Ferdosipour. Taremi criticized the exclusion of and then the U-turn of Esteghlal players from the Team Melli camp and then claimed that in the past year, far too many players have been selected for Team Melli !, which is not a good thing to say. These statements had wide repercussions amongst the stakeholders in Iranian football, which were mostly negative.

Who are you, What position are you in?

Some of Tarami’s statements might be merited but some are not. But here, the criticism of the speaker is more important than the content of the speech. Basically, no player in the world’s professional football should give himself the right to openly and candidly take a position against the Coaching staff and particularly the Leader, the head coach.

If this issue becomes a normal procedure, no stone will be left unturned. It is really rare and rare that even the greatest players in the world of football have taken such positions against their coaches. You don’t see this behavior from Messi and Ronaldo either. Didn’t Paris Saint-Germain have a few failures? Have you ever heard Kylian Mbappe criticize his coach as the best player on this team?

The crossroads of Skocic.

Even if Tarami’s efforts to dismiss Skočić were successful, the story would not be over, because in this case, the next coach to take over, would have to be approved by him in order to survive. is that the correct thing for a football team? Skocic’s difficult dilemma is now on how to deal with the issue of Mehdi Taremi, and to a lesser extent Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Ehsan Hajsafi.  Dragan Skočić has now faced a big predicament. That he does not invite these players and significantly reduces the Team’s foundation in the World Cup, or that he pleads ignorance to the fact that there are players who don’t respect him and might spread the bad word in the camp.  in which case his authority will be questioned even more. All this could not exist if Tarami maintained his sense of responsibility and did not utter those unnecessary words.

Mehdi Taremi has proved through the few years that he has a behavior problem. His action on the field doesn’t reflect his age. His famous dismissal in the Champions League was when he kicked the ball away a few minutes after he was awarded a yellow card. This typified his immaturity and lack of emotional control. Despite his popularity amongst the Porto fans, Taremi is probably the most hated player in the Portuguese league. He is famous for his diving and deception of referees and is the subject of many reporters’ criticism for lack of sportsmanship.

Is Taremi an Asset or Liability?

Right now, looking at the picture, it looks like Mehdi Taremi is a risk and a dangerous element in the Team Melli camp. Thinking that he will change his attitude and mentality in a few days or months is simply impossible. He has a lot of grudge against Skočić starting from day one.  His exclusion from the team is not going to be disastrous for Iran with the presence of Sardar Azmoun to spearhead the offensive line. The problem is the exclusion of Jahanbakhsh.

In any case, Skočić must choose between discipline, values, and respect or act as if nothing has happened and call Taremi back in the hope of better things.

How is more valuable for team Melli?

A comparison table on the performance of Azmoun and Daei for reference

Sardar Azmoun Mehdi Taremi
Age 27 30
Club Bayer Leverkusen FC Porto
No of seasons in Europe 15 6
Foreign leagues Russia & Germany Qatar & Portugal
Games played 217 243
Goals scored 86 125
Yellow card 38 32
Red Cards 2 4
League title 3 1
TEAM MELLI
Matches 63 58
Seasons 9 8
goals scored 40 29
Yellow card 10 8
Red Cards 0 0

What should happen now in Team Melli.

Mirshad Majedi and the rest of the board members of the federation, after a long and winding meeting , decided on the status quo and that the incumbent head coach of Team Melli shall remain in charge up to the FIFA World Cup 2022 and beyond.

That was the best decision possible under the circumstances and taken for the sake of Team Melli with crucial days left up to the world cup. Majedi did not succumb to pressure exerted mainly by the Minister of Sport and some other elements who were influenced by a group of Team Melli players.

To be clear, the categorical refusal of Ali Daei to take over from Skocic despite several attempts or pleas, was the catalyst in Skocic’s survival. There were no alternative viable options and the conditions of Team Melli would have been disastrous if Skocic was sacked.

Despite reaching the wisest decisions possible by the FFIRI leadership, the problem with Team Melli is far from over. There must be action by the FFIRI to eliminate the rebels in the squad else these disruptive elements will make the Croat job impossible in Qatar. There is no doubt among many experts that some players will not be happy with this decision while some begrudgingly will tag along.

Hamid Estili’s position

The man that should support Team Melli’s coaching staff has taken a side and worked against Skocic. He was a member of the Technical Committee that decided that the Croat is not qualified as a coach of Team Melli.  Hamid Estili must accept his poor insight and should resign his post immediately to save face. Estili however, is a man of thousand faces and changes positions in a blink. He will try to weasel his way out of this situation, however, it is better for the federation to sack him from the job before he inflicts damage.

The rebel players.

Including the rebel players who are led by Mehdi Taremi in the squad for the World Cup is a serious risk. In addition to Taremi, there are players such as Karim Ansarifard, Ehsan Haj Safy, and Saeid Ezatollahi, with some mention of Alireza Jahanbaksh being in this rebellion group.

No doubt that Jahanbakhsh and Taremi are key players and getting rid of them could be a disadvantage to Team Melli. Their experience and abilities are undeniable, however, much depends on how Skocic will perceive these players and likewise the player’s comfort level with the coach, especially after some bad feelings made publicly by some of them.

It is a difficult formula and there must be a middle-of-the-road solution. Keeping all the rebel players is certainly a risk. From the track record,  Skocic does not score high in the discipline department. He is not like Daei or Queiroz both of who are no-nonsense coaches and have no time for indiscipline. So, controlling the rebels and their effect on the whole squad could be a difficult task for him. The leadership of the football federation must come to his support and coordinate with the coaching staff and in consultation with Karim Bagheri, who was an assistant coach until lately when Persepolis pulled him back,  should come up with the right decision.

One school of thought believes that some of the rebel players are dispensable and could be thrown out as an example to the rest, while the two most valuable of them should be kept under strict behavioral restrictions and maintained discipline. The reputation and name of Iran especially at such a level of competition are far greater than the interest of some players never mind what European league they are playing in.

If a player is selected to represent his country, he has no right to decide who the coach is and must give 100% to the team under whichever coach is appointed, period.

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