While the Iranian football circles are still stunned by the election of Mehdi Taj and many in the media believed he does not stand a chance of being approved due to legislation against him in courts and various other issues that deemed his candidacy as unlawful, Taj not only registered his name but also won. The ripples have already started.
As soon as he was announced as the new leader of FFIRI, Vahid Shamsaei resigned just a month before Iran’s Futsal Team Melli starts its defense of the title. Soon after Shamsaei, Mostafa Nazari, the goalkeepers’ coach also followed in resignation.
In Football’s Team Melli, Vahid Hashemian has been rumored to contemplate the same action, while Dragan Skocic is once again on his toes on Team Melli’s hot seat.
While Misrshad Majedi confirmed Skocic’s position as head coach and he is still one of the biggest supporters, Mehdi Taj was rumored to be instrumental in the agitation moves and calls for the return of Carlos Queiroz. During the polarization of Team Melli in the last few weeks, Taj remained inconspicuous and tight-lipped about any issues related to the FFIRI, but it was no secret that he was active behind the scenes in driving the demands of Carlos Queiroz’s to return to Team Melli.
Mehdi Taj has been active in Iran’s football for decades and has a strong lobby too. He is a man who went through many governmental posts in Esfahan province. His career progression is all through the regime’s organizations. In football, he was the chairman of Sepahan for many years and was a strong leader who propelled the club from Esfahan to new heights including winning the league titles and reaching the AFC Champions League.
The election in FFIRI is nothing different than other elections in the rest of the country mainly the election of the President of the Republic. It is all well orchestrated and the results can be predictable. The formalities, the process, and the motions are all pre-determined and nicely engineered.
Taj’s rap sheet and still pending issue with Marc Wilmots is perhaps his biggest shortfall. He has never been transparent about the contract, selection process, and the payments to the big failure Wilmots. As he did not play any role in the selection of Skocic, because he was out of action, he has no affinity for the Croat and much prefers to work with the devil he knows, namely Queiroz. However, time is the biggest factor that is against this union. Queiroz himself left Iran in distress and bitterness. He later accused and bad-mouth several people in Iran including the Ministry of Sports. He left very few friends in the country. One of those who was a victim of Queiroz onslaught was no one but Mehdi Taj himself.
The outspoken Portuguese is well aware of how politics works in Iran’s football and he knows who has the keys. If Mehdi Taj comes calling and is seriously desperate, Queiroz contracts and other demands could be prohibitive or beyond the abilities of Taj.
There are players in Team Melli who supported Taj and will be happy to see him back at the helm of the federation, however, the man remains a polarizing and divisive figure. Undoubtedly, he has the strong backing of the regime and access to many government agencies and ministries. It remains to be seen whether he will use that support wisely to the benefit of football in general, or try to strengthen his grip on a shambolic federation that for decades has failed in achieving what football deserves.