11/29/2008
Kaveh Mahjoob, footballmedia.net

The headline was simple: Ghotbi resigned and flew to Dubai!

Professional football’s nature is that coaches come and coaches go. Resignations and dismissals are as much a part of coaching as completion of actual contracts. Nevertheless, Afshin Ghotbi’s resignation is as big of a news as when he had difficulty entering Iran as an assistant coach with Korea’s national team, or when he decided to take over for Perspolis, or when Perspolis became the champions of 2007-08 Iran’s Professional league, …, you get the picture. (more…)

By Alex Duff

Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -  The fallout from Spain's housing market turmoil has spread all the way to the soccer field. Deportivo La Coruna, the champion in 2000, hasn't found a jersey sponsor to replace collapsed developer Martinsa-Fadesa SA, club spokesman Rafa Carpacho said. Real Mallorca owner Vicenc Grande this month failed to sell the club after seeking protection from creditors for his real estate business. Atletico Madrid President Enrique Cerezo said the sale of the club's stadium will no longer raise enough to wipe out its debt, estimated at about 425 million euros ($550 million) by Spanish newspaper El Economista.
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11/25/2008
Afshin Afshar, lastkick.com

No one can accuse the Esteghlal fans of not having a sense of humor!

Yesterday during their Cup match against Damash of Gilan, which they won 8-1, Esteghlal earned two penalties. On the first instance, Esteghlal earned a penalty during the first half. As striker Arash Borhani, who is notorious for wasting good scoring opportunities, walked up to the spot to take it, the fans broke into spontaneous chants asking him to let Alireza Vahedi-Nikbakht take it! Now that is just fine except that Nikbakht is a former Esteghlal striker who now plays for their cross town rival Perspolis!
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11/24/2008
Mehran Afshar, lastkick.com

Last Saturday night, Mehran Afshar was caught in a heavy traffic jam behind Seyyed Khandan Bridge on Tehran’s Jolfa Street. He decided to park his car and give himself a break until the traffic cleared. As he got out of his car, he heard rounds of applause and laughter. After a little investigation he discovered that the noise was coming from a crowd gathered for a poetry night event and decided to join them for some investigative reporting for your reading pleasure.

The Poetry Night at Tehran’s Arasbaran Cultural Center (Farhangsaraye Arasbaran) last Saturday night was so crowded that some of the participants and audience gathered outside the venue and started their own open air version of the program. The format was casual, and each participant could take a few minutes to read his/her comic poem, in response to which the audience would whistle, clapping, or sing along the chorus (if there was one).
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11/22/2008
By Kaveh Mahjoob

Lastkick.com - Against the proud Iranian national team, the UAE’s ball movement was amazing. Fast and furious the round object traveled from the midfield to the sides, to the left and to the right wing where Iran’s defense is traditionally most vulnerable. Emirate players acted on the field as if they were lions of the desert playing football newcomers. UAE was there to win and nothing but a win seemed to save them from a likely elimination in the world cup qualifying round. Team Melli was there as a confused guest that performed their worst game in recent memory as recent as last ten years.
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11/20/2008
Afshin Afshar, lastkick.com

Thanks to the AFC’s scheduling, Team Melli’s last three games come at them like whirlwind! In the span of a short 11 days, the boys have to fly to Pyongyang on June 6 to face Korea DPR, back to Tehran to host UAE on June 10, and back to the Korean Peninsula again, this time to Seoul, to play their last Group 2 match versus Korea Republic on June 17.

This is by far the toughest closing in Group 2. Korea Republic plays on the same dates, but they play their last two games at home. The other three teams in the group have a longer break between their 6^th and 7^th games. For example KSA plays their sixth game in April, and their 7^th is in June.
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11/20/2008
By Afshin Dastafshan, PFC Editor-in-Chief

PersianFootballCenter - Iran survived a UAE onslaught and salvaged a point in their third world cup 2010 qualifier. Playing away against a UAE side that was yet to pick up a point in this round Iran were hoping to collect all three points but at the same time they had no doubts about the tough challenge they were about to face since anything but a win for UAE would effectively eliminate them from the world cup campaign.
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11/20/2008
Afshin Afshar, lastkick.com

Afshin Ghotbi is gone, Perspolis is turmoil, and they have to play the leaders Paykan this weekend.

It looked hopeless to me too until I saw on the evening news about what happened in Catania, and then I realized there was hope for the Reds after all!

The Sicilians desperate for a goal had done the unthinkable and shown their hidden side during a free kick. The three brave sons of Catania had made the almost ultimate sacrifice and dropped their shorts to “obstruct” the view of Torino keeper just as the moment that their teammate had stepped up to take the kick. Sure enough the ball swerved over the defensive wall, around the keeper, and inside the goal.
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11/19/2008
Mehran Afshar, lastkick.com

Mehran Afshar reports from Perspolis FC's training ground in Tehran.

It was around 11.30 on Wednesday morning and only Dariush Mostafavi was in the middle of the field interviewing with reporter Anooshirvan Ariamanesh of IRIB Network.

The fans gathered in groups of 10 – 15 with their hand in their pockets and hunched shoulders, shaking their heads and discussing the dire situation their team is facing.

"We all saw this coming", a young fan in his early 20s said "After the Saba match, it was obvious that he is under pressure from the management". "Agha (fellows)! We cannot have coaches like Ghotbi in our football. Our football is designed for coaches like Mayeli Kohan, Farshad Piyus, Ghale Noee, and not educated gentlemen like Afshin Ghotbi!" A middle aged grayed hair man, with Gilani accent was shouting, and others around him shook their heads in agreement!
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11/19/2008
the-afc.com

DUBAI – A late equaliser from captain Karim Bagheri earned Iran a 1-1 draw with United Arab Emirates in Wednesday’s 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

UAE dominated the contest and opened the scoring through captain Abdulraheem Jumaa after 19 minutes.
But after the home side wasted a string of chances to extend their lead after finding Iran goalkeeper Seyed Rahmati in inspirational form, Bagheri earned his side a share of the spoils with just 10 minutes remaining of the Group B encounter.
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