12/31/2007
pressTV.ir

Officials voice concern over the lack of a suitable coach for the national soccer team as the 2010 World Cup qualifier games draw near.

"Artur Jorge is still the main candidate for leading the national football team," said the spokesman of the Iranian Football Federation's (IFF) transitional committee Ali Reghbati.

He added that although an agreement had been reached on the length and value of the contract, the deal was yet to be finalized.

“Iran insists Jorge should only employ two foreign assistant coaches instead of three and he will give his final answer in the next two days,” he added.

The national team is scheduled to play warm-up games against Germany's Hansa Rostock and Qatar in Tehran as early as next week.

12/29/2007
Kaveh Mahjoob, lastkick.com

Part One – “Let There be a Coach!”

From a distance, it appears that Iranian football authorities thrive on creating chaos and at times appear intentionally damage the game all love in Iran. The story has no real starting point since as long as the Iranian football fans remember, challenges with FIFA, lack of organization and favoritism have ruled. The age of Crisis was not born yesterday and it still is alive and well.

The latest chapter of “Crisis R Us” began a year and half ago following a real disappointing world cup campaign in Germany. With the team still in Germany, the ministry of Physical Education fired the head of Iran Football Federation, IFF. FIFA viewed this act as government interference with the football operation. Eighteen months later, the Football Transitory Committee which was appointed by FIFA has NOT managed to settle differences with the Physical Education and elect (read appoint) a new federation head.
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12/29/2007
John Duerden, goal.com

2007 was quite a year for Asian football and Goal.com has selected ten of the best moments from the last 12 months.

1: Iraq's Asian Cup win

There is little doubt of the story of the year and not just in Asia. Iraq’a Asian Cup success was one for the romantics – a real fairy tale. A number of players had lost family members and friends in the ongoing conflict, the team hadn’t played a home game for years and coach Jorvan Vieira took the reins just weeks prior to the competition after his predecessor resigned due to safety fears.

Despite the problems, this darkest of dark horses shocked pre-tournament favourites Australia in the group stage, disposed of a doughty South Korean team in the semi-finals before Younis Mahmoud headed home the winner in an emotional final against Saudi Arabia.

It made headlines around the world and rightly so.
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12/27/2007
Samuel Zhang, goal.com

After losing 1-0 to Saipa on Wednesday, Sepahan missed out on an opportunity to close the gap on Iran Pro League leaders Persepolis.

The AFC Champions League runners-up lie in second place, five points adrift of Persepolis with a game in hand.

The first half was a dour goalless affair, and despite Saipa dominating throughout, they failed to make a breakthrough. Just eight minutes into the second half, Karim Ansarifard struck powerful shot that gave his side the winning goal.
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December 26, 2007

TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran has chosen Portugal's Artur Jorge as the new coach to revive the fortunes of its beleaguered national football team, the student ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday, quoting an informed source.

"Artur Jorge has been chosen as the new head of the Iranian national football team," the source told the agency.

"His assistant and co-coach will be Mansour Ebrahimzadeh," it said, adding that Ebrahimzadeh would announce a 50-member national squad in the next few days.
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12/25/2007

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A Malaysian referee took out his gun and fired warning shots in the air after a local soccer match turned unruly following the suspension of a player, a newspaper said on Tuesday.

The referee, who was also a policeman, ran to his patrol car to get his gun after players mobbed him for showing the red-card to one of them, the New Straits Times said.

"We are investigating as to whether the policeman was justified in taking out his firearm and discharging it, and also why he had it with him during the match," it quoted Hussin Ismail, police chief in the southern Johor state, as saying.

The policemen was taken into custody for suspected misuse of firearms.

Five players, aged between 23 and 40, were also being held for questioning and could be charged for rioting, the paper said.

(Reporting by Jalil Hamid, Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

12/25/2007
Mark Hinton, Goal.com

The former Tottenham Hotspur coach, Jacques Santini, has emerged as a potential candidate to take charge of the Iranian national team.

The Iran Football Federation's transitory committee has confirmed that Jacques Santini and Portuguese coach Artur Jorge are possible options to guide Iran into the forthcoming 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

The two coaches have come to an overall agreement with the transitory committee members, although in both cases the financial terms of the proposal are yet to be decided.

Santini, who was briefly in charge of Tottenham Hotspur in England in 2004, immediately before Martin Jol took over at White Hart Lane, has asked for €1.5 million (£1.1million) to sign a year-long contract.

However, IFF officials have not yet confirmed whom they will choose to take charge of Team Melli.

12/25/2007
Samuel Zhang, goal.com

Ex-Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei is in Uzbekistan to negotiate with Pakhtakor officials over a one-year deal to take charge of the club.

The 43-year-old previously coached Iran Premier League outfit Esteghlal from 2003 and 2006.

He left his post to coach the national team – but was sacked after Iran failed to win the AFC Asian Cup 2007.

Ghalenoei led Team Melli to the quarterfinals stage.

Pakhtakor are an elite club in the Uzbek League, winning six championships and seven domestic cups.

They will compete in the upcoming AFC Champions League. They reached the semi-finals of the competition twice in 2003 and 2004.

12/25/2007

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Former Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona says he wants to meet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a leading U.S. foe, local media reported on Monday.

Maradona, an outspoken critic of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, gave a signed soccer shirt to an Iranian diplomat on Saturday after a game in the televised Showbol tournament of mini-matches.

Maradona, 47, is an admirer of Cuban leader Fidel Castro and he said this month he wanted a tattoo of Hugo Chavez, the fiery left-wing president of Venezuela and an ally of Iran.
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