5/6/2007
Kaveh Mahjoob, lastkick.com

Over the last few months, Iranian football has gone through some bizarre and incredible events. These events each could point to the deep mismanagement in Iranian football. Putting them next to each other, they represent a certain pattern that needs to be stopped before it becomes a norm.

Episode 1 – The BLUES

By now all football fans know that Esteghlal failed to submit her player list for the Asian Championship League. This failure resulted to the firing/resigning of the entire steering committee of the club. The hands of Iranian National Team Head Coach, former Esteghlal head coach, were clearly behind this mishap.

Over the last two weeks several internal fights took place among the “fans” of Esteghlal. Things got ugly at the training camp a few weeks ago when cold weapons were used during fights.

Then the news of last week shocked all. Mr. Bahmani who was appointed by the government to be involved in running the club was stabbed.

After weeks of turmoil, Mr. Fatahollazadeh has been appointed as the new General Manager of the team. Fatahollazadeh has a long history of managing Esteghlal and is among the very few candidates that the BLUEs fans would agree on.

With a couple of weeks to go, Esteghlal is fighting for the Persian League (PGL) championship and has a very good chance of winning the league for the second year in a row. The constant managerial turmoil in this team may result in the loss of championship opportunity.

How is it that this team, despite all the turmoil manages to stay at the top is an interesting story line worth following.

Episode II – The REDS

For several years, on annual basis, the General Managers of Perspolis get appointed and fired or forced to resign by season’s end. This trend continued once more when Ansarifard was forced to resign from his GM position. Typically, with each GM replacement, the entire club steering committee, the head coach and all other coaches are replaced. While Perspolis is one game away from the Hazfi Cup (Iran Cup) Final, the REDs are once more thrown into turmoil.

Perspolis has massive financial troubles. It seems like Perspolis owes money to every player or coach who has ever been associated with this club. At the moment, Perspolis has two cases involving money owed to the previous coach, Arie Haan, and a player, Rafael, at FIFA level. There is a chance that if Perspolis would not pay the debt, it would be relegated to the First Division.

Somehow it seems that there are those who want the REDs and BLUEs in constant turmoil. Perspolis like Esteghlal may end up winning a championship this year and as a result, next year Asian Championship League could include two most popular Iranian clubs with fans, pride and empty pockets.

Episode III – The Federation

The question is what federation. Iran’s Football Federation, IFF, still has no chief. After Mohammad Dadkaan was untimely fired, during the world cup tournament, for a period of time Mostafavi was the caretaker of the federation. Nowadays, IFF has no president. The current plan is to wait for FIFA’s approval of IFF’s new constitution followed by the election. At the mean time, the game goes on.

Episode IV – “Tabani” (Match Fixing)

As the seasons come to an end in PGL and the First Division, many claims of collusions and match fixings have been made. The claims are around three areas:

Team managements allowing their club to lose

Coaches and players allow their team to lose

Referees getting involved in match fixing

In the First Division, given the sensitivity of the standings and the number of teams that are trying to advance to PGL, as well as those battling the relegation, rumor mill is more active. Just last week, while interviewed by IRNA, GM’s or head coaches of the following teams claimed that matches have been fixed and referees have been bought. These teams are:

Shahin of Booshahr

Head Coach – “There were specific examples when we knew referees had “fixed” the match for “known” teams but we couldn’t prove it.”

General Manager – “Despite the efforts of “Referee Committee”, certain referees of the First Division worked with certain teams to fix matches.”

CEO – “This past season, “Fixing” matches were more common than prior seasons.”

Mashin Sazi of Tabriz

CEO – “To fight “match fixing”, there is a need to have a permanent committee to oversee the matches…”

Shahrdari of Tabriz

CEO – “Teams that are not in good financial condition “fix matches” with richer teams.

In our football, sometimes the players receive money in return to help the other side.”

Shamooshak of Noshahr

Technical Manager – “The existence of “match fixing” has impacted the game, the players and coaches. These days, it is hard to find a coach that can operate without getting involved in “match fixing”.”

CEO – “Although it is not possible to prove match fixing, there are evidence that teams, players and coaches are getting involved in fixing games.”

Head Coach – “Different examples of “Fixing” are threatening Iran’s football.”

In PGL, coaches have been vocal about “hands behind the curtain” and “favoritism” by the referees. It is no longer simply a voice here and there that discuses “collusion.” There are many voices.

Wrap

The negative events of Iranian football are not new. What is new is more of them are being reported. With football becoming a money-making sport in Iran, unless a strong management rises in our football, more frequent and more serious problems will occur.

With multiple teams fighting to win PGL, not to get relegated and a series of exciting play-off matches in the First Division to advance to PGL, Iranian football is receiving its source of drama at the club level. National Team’s outlook at the moment is foggy and poor planning and questionable coaching staff have reduced the expectations at the Asian Cup. That is a subject for another article.

For now, football fans are enjoying the club competition, hoping that Sepahan fairs well in the Asian Championship League and a minor miracle for the U23 team to defeat Australia in the road to 2008 Olympics.

Kaveh Mahjoob may be contacted at Kaveh_Mahjoob@hotmail.com