Barca win hard fought battle over Osasuna

PFDC - PAMPLONA, Lionel Messi scored a wonderful individual effort and set up another as Barcelona earned a hard fought 3-2 victory over a well organised Osasuna side at Pamplona.

José Antonio Camacho aligned an unsual line-up with Vadocz and Punal in central midfield and Nekounam playing behind the lone striker Pandiani.



The league leaders completely dominated the first half but were unable to find a way through until Samuel Eto'o's crucial strike seconds before the half time whistle.

They should have taken the lead after 10 minutes when Lionel Messi made a superb run past two defenders and beat the keeper but his effort was denied by the goalpost.

Walter Pandiani was in good position to schock the visitors but his header was saved by Victor Valdés and that was Osasuna's only chance of the first half.

All the action was at the other end and the Catalans finally broke the deadlock in the 45 minutes when Lionel Messi deliverved the ball to Samuel Eto'o who unleashed a hard shot from the edge the box to beat Roberto.

Osasuna begun the second half strongly and looked much more confident.

Camacho's men levelled the score on the hour mark when Javier Flano perfectly headed home Portillo's corner.

Barca took a while to react and the hosts took the lead in the 73rd minute. Walter Pandiani redirected Juanfran's set up behind Victor Valdés to the joy of the 20 000 fans in the Reyno de Navarra stadium.

The celebrations were short, the best team in Spain quickly cancelled the hosts lead thanks to Xavi who found the back of the net from a close range.

Five minutes before time, Shojaei lost a challenge and the ball went to Lionel Messi who scored the winner with spectacular strike from outside the box.

Javad Nekounam played the full match. The Iranian midfielder started in an unsual position and was not very effective until he switched back to his usual position in the second half. From that moment Osasuna's midfield was more stable and the men from Pamplona scored two goals.

His compatriot Shojaei had a short appearance, the 24-year-old was introduced after 82 minutes to replace the injured Plasil and should be partly blamed for Barcelona's third goal.

 

Nekounam: Barcelona will not win in Pamplona

PFDC - PAMPLONA, Osasuna midfielder Javad Nekounam is confident that his team can emerge victorious in Sunday's big match against La Liga leaders FC Barcelona.

"We have an important match ahead of us because we play against the leaders, but we won't be an easy rival and they are certainly not going to collect any points from here. So far, we have dropped points due to our own mistakes because no opponent has been better than us", the Iranian told the reporters in Pamplona.

"I think that we have improved in this aspect, but we have to over come this fear which affects us at the end of every match", Neko added.

When asked by a reporter about Messi, Nekounam said:" We don't think about a single player, a player can't do anything alone. We are focusing on their team and we know that they play very well with the ball. Despite their quality, we will try to neutralize their tactics and destroy their game. We are playing at home and we can comfortably win against any opponent."

"I would also like to thank the fans who always support us 100 percent. I couldn't believe when I saw so many people supporting us in that cold  yesterday. Personally, I promise the fans that we will play a good game and hopefully obtain a good result which could reward their kindness."

Nekounam is also confident that the Navarrans will eventually avoid the relegation in this season."I don't like to see Osasuna being placed in the bottom of the table. I always wish the team's success before mine. As I have said it before, I am sure that we will move out of the danger zone."

 

2009 ACL draw - thrilling match-ups

AFC - DUBAI, Battle lines have been drawn for the 2009 AFC Champions League after the official draw on Wednesday at the Emirates Group HQ in Dubai threw up some intriguing match-ups.

Defending champions Gamba Osaka, of Japan, have landed in Group F with Korea Republic’s FC Seoul, Shandong Luneng, of China, and Indonesian side Sri Wijaya. 

Qatar’s Umm Salal were rewarded for their successful 2008 Qatari Cup campaign with a daunting draw.

Umm Salal were drawn alongside high-flying Emirati outfit Al Jazira, Iran’s Hazfi Cup winners Esteghal and Saudi’s two-time Asian champions Al Ittihad in Group C.

Coached by Frenchman Gerard Gili, Salal will begin their campaign with a tough trip to Abu Dhabi to face the Black Spiders, while Esteghal travel to Jeddah for a mouth-watering tie with Ittihad.

In the East draw for the 32-team group stage, Gamba, who secured their place in the lucrative $14million tournament by winning the Emperor’s Cup last week in Tokyo, will get their defence under way when they host FC Seoul at the Expo ’70 Stadium.

Kashima Antlers, the six-time J-League winners and champions in 2008, face China’s Shanghai Shenhua and K-League champions Suwon Bluewings in Group G.

Saudi Champions Cup victors Al Shabab meet Iranian league winners Persepolis, Qatari heavyweights Al Gharafa and the winners of the Western qualifying play-off, either the UAE’s Al Sharjah or India’s sole flag-flier Dempo, in Group B.

Al Hilal, the Saudi Arabian giants who have a long heritage in Asia’s elite tournament having won twice previously, were the first name out of the pot as they headed Group A.

They were grouped with the UAE’s President’s Cup winners Al Ahly, as well as Uzbekistan league runners-up Pakhtakor and Iran’s Saba Battery.

Emirati League champions Al Shabab, who have struggled this year in the newly formed UAE Football League, will travel to Iran as they start their campaign against Sepahan.

The other opening match in Group D will see Uzbek champions Bunyodkor play host to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq.

Back to the East, and Champions League debutants Nagoya Grampus will take heart from the draw after they found themselves placed in Group E alongside Beijing Guoan and Ulsan Hyundai, both of whom finished third in their respective leagues last season.

Grampus will, however, make the long trip south-east to Australia where they will take on the might of the southern hemisphere’s Newcastle Jets.

The Jets fierce rivals Central Coast Mariners were placed in the final foursome, Group H. They will take on Korea’ s FA Cup winners Pohang Steelers, Kawasaki Frontale and China’s Tianjin Teda, who finished fourth in the Super League last year.

The first round of matches will be played during March 10 and 11.

Groups A-D are filled with West and Central Asian sides while East and Asean teams have been placed in groups E-H.

Group A

• Al Hilal (KSA)
• Pakhtakor (UZB)
• Al Ahli (UAE)
• Saba Battery (IRN)

Group B

• Persepolis (IRN)
• Al Shabab (KSA)
• Al Gharafa (QAT)
• Play-off winner 1

Group E

• Ulsan Hyundai (KOR)
• Newcastle Jets (AUS)
• Beijing Guoan (CHN)
• Nagoya Grampus (JPN)

Group F

• Gamba Osaka (JPN)
• FC Seoul (KOR)
• Sriwijaya (IDN)
• Shandong Luneng (CHN)

Group C

• Al Jazira (UAE)
• Esteghlal (IRN)
• Al Ittihad (KSA)
• Umm Salal (QAT)

Group D

• Bunyodkor (UZB)
• Al Shabab (UAE)
• Sepahan (IRN)
• Al Ettifaq (KSA)

Group G

• Shanghai Shenhua (CHN)
• Kashima Antlers (JPN)
• Suwon Bluewings (KOR)
• Play-off winner 2

Group H

• Central Coast Mariners (AUS)
• Tianjin Teda (CHN)
• Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)
• Pohang Steelers (KOR)

 

Peyrovani appointed coach of Iran’s U-23 football team

MNA - TEHRAN, Gholamhossein Peyrovani was named the coach of Iran’s U-23 football team on Sunday.

Peyrovani’s brother Amir Hossein Peyrovani will be the assistant coach of the team.

 

 

 

 

 

In the session held in Iran’s Football Federation(IFF) office, the current Moghavemat Sepasi coach was appointed as the U-23 football team.

Hamid Estili, Mohammad Khakpour, Bijan Zolfagharnasab, Majid Jalali, Hamid Derakhshan and Mansur Ebrahimzadeh were the other nominees.

Tehran derby to be held in February

PTV - Esteqlal and Persepolis will play the Tehran derby in February next year, two days after Iran's World Cup qualifier against South Korea.

The 66th derby between Tehran's two popular clubs will be held on February 13th, 2009 at Tehran's Azadi Stadium, said the head of Iran's Premier League Organization, Aziz Mohammadi.

Iran will play its fourth match in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers against South Korea on February 11th in Tehran.

Iran's Premier League (IPL) will not be held from January 3-17 as the national soccer team will play its first match in the AFC Asian Cup 2011 qualifier against Singapore.

Mohammadi said the IPL will be finished by the end of April to give the national squad enough training time for its last three World Cup qualifiers, all of which will be held in June next year.

 

Persepolis draws with Saipa in IPL

PTV - TEHRAN, Persepolis has failed to seal its third consecutive victory in Iran's Premier League (IPL) after a hopeless home draw

with Saipa.

Ibrahima Toure put Persepolis ahead in the 25th minute drawing cheers from about 60,000 fans at Tehran's Azadi stadium.

It was only eight minutes later when Omid Sharifi-Nasab scored the equalizer for Saipa, which has had Mohammad Mayeli-Kohan as its new head coach since Saturday.

Persepolis had the chance to move up to the third place after Peykan lost 1-0 to Saba Battery on Monday. However, Tuesday's 1-1 draw means Persepolis will remain in the fourth place with 30 points because of Peykan's better goal difference.

Zob Ahan drew 2-2 with Mes on Monday to hand over the top spot to Esteqlal, which defeated Abumoslem 2-0 on Sunday. Both teams have 34 points, but Esteqlal stands in the first place due to better goal difference.

 

Persepolis edges out Rah-Ahan 2-1

PTV - Popular Tehran soccer team Persepolis has gained a 2-1 victory over Rah-Ahan in the 17th week of the Iranian Premier League (IPL).

Persepolis Senegalese striker Ibrahima Toure scored the opener to stun the 40,000 spectators at Tehran's Azadi Stadium in the 35th minute of the game on Thursday.

Davoud Haqqi managed to level the matter for Rah-Ahan from the penalty spot in the 69th minute.

Two minutes later, however, Sepehr Heidari struck the winner for the Reds to seal the victory, moving his side to the 4th place in the IPL table with 29 points.

Persepolis manager Afshin Peyrovani voiced satisfaction with the result.

"I am delighted that we win three points for the game. We really needed to win under any condition," he said. "We have good players and only think about the championship."

Rah-Ahan coach Mahmoud Yavari blamed the loss on the physical condition of his players.

"Our players ran out of energy at the end of the match because they have to play two games per week," Yavari explained. "We must learn a lesson from this defeat."

Isfahan's Zobahan currently tops the IPL table on 33 points. Tehran's Esteqlal sits second with 31 followed by Paykan with 30 points.

Interview with Rahman Rezaei

PFDC - TEHRAN, The former Iranian international player, Rahman Rezaei who has recently joined Tehran giants, Persepolis FC after spending seven years in Il Calcio has described his current situation as well as his ambitions and plans in an interview with Iran Pro Sport News Agency.

IPNA: Can you tell us about your first match for Persepolis against Semnan Industries after having returned to Iran?

Rezaei: The feeling of playing the first match for a great team is inexpressible. Although I shouldn't have been too much excited given my experience in the Italian league, however  teams like Persepolis and Esteghlal have their own special atmosphere and playing for them is very important.


IPNA: Were you satisfied with your performance?

Rezaei: It would be unprofessional to say that I was satisfied with myself. Various factors including the undesirable stadium conditions, playing away and the fact that we were in a knock-out stage had affected the performance of all players.


IPNA: But a team like Persepolis should not be intimidated by facing such teams. Don't you agree?

Rezaei: Of course, I agree. However, all around the world surprising results are recorded during the league cup and great teams might under-perform against unknown teams.


IPNA: Does it mean you did not want to risk?

Rezaei: Exactly, we wanted a win and we achieved it.


IPNA: And you will face your traditional rival Sepahan, next!

Rezaei: I am not very familiar with the rivalries between the two team and will only do my job.


IPNA: It seems that you make a good combination with Frank Atsou in the defense. don't you believe so?

Rezaei: Atsou is a good player, but I am trying to adapt myself to the system of the team and improve the defensive line.


IPNA: What did you want to achieve by returning to Iranian football?

Rezaei: I returned because I wanted to prove many things. I wanted to say that I still exist and not finished.


IPNA: Why did you choose Persepolis?

Rezaei: By making a choice, one sets great goals. My aims would be achieved within the framework of Persepolis' goals beacuse Persepolis is a great club with great ambitions.


IPNA: What goals?

Rezaei: My main goal is experiencing the championship in the Iranian Premier League(IPL). I have never lifted the league trophy in Iran, but now I can be hopeful to do that with Persepolis.


IPNA: Is championship all you wanted?

Rezaei: Of course this is a great motivating factor, but one has to take into consideration Persepolis' participation in the Asian Champions League(ACL) which is a difficult competition to win. It is very tempting to experience the ACL and the championship with the same team.


IPNA: Don't you think a bit surrealistic?

Rezaei: Likewise Persepolis, I have great ambitions. Persepolis and the whole Iranian football have been waiting for winning the Asian title. in my opinion Persepolis has such potential in this season.


IPNA: You did not mention about Team Melli, don't you think about it?

Rezaei: The national team belongs to prepared players.


IPNA: Aren't you prepared?

Rezaei: It's not that I'm not in shape, but Team Melli is for those who have played since the start of the season. In fact that is the place for the best players.


IPNA: Does that mean you don't consider it at all?

Rezaei: I only think about Persepolis and don't like to think about this issue at the moment. I don't want to make publicity for myself. I would like to reach a level so that everyone would want me to play for the national team.


IPNA: You seem to choose your words very professionally.

Rezaei: Playing in European football has taught me many things.

IPNA: Don't you ever miss Italian football?

Rezaei: Right now, I really miss playing in Italy.


IPNA: How do you cope with it?

Rezaei: According to a general rule in football, any departure is followed by a return. There's no other choice than getting on with it.


IPNA: Italy is proud of its defenders. What did you learn from these though defenders?

Rezaei: Without any doubts, I owe all my progress in football to playing in Calcio. I have now returned and willing to use all my experience in Iranian football.


IPNA: What is your solotion for Persepolis' unorganized defence?
Rezaei: Any coach has his own strategies. I do not want to interfere in Afshin Peyrovani's duties since he has his own views.

IPNA: Do you agree about the chaotic state of the Persepolis defence?

Rezaei: There are great defenders in Persepolis, but unfortunately, they have not been up to expectations in this season. I am confident that they will soon reach their top shape.


IPNA: What would be your role?

Rezaei: The role of an experienced key player who will reorganize the defensive line.


IPNA: How do you feel about your ex-team mate becoming your coach?

Rezaei: On the pitch I am his player on of the pitch we are good friends.


IPNA: Do you think Peyrovani will become successful?

Rezaei: I am very optimist about his coaching career.


IPNA: Will you ever return to European football?

Rezaei: I have a lot of ideas. Definitely, my ultimate goal is returning to European football.

 

Nikbakht among most popular players

MNA - Persepolis striker Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht has been selected as one the most popular players, according to a poll by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

IFFHS members and editorial boards from over 70 countries across all continents have selected the candidates from their own and other countries for the public’s vote for the most popular active footballer in 2008.

The 100 candidates come from 58 countries on all football continents. Spain (7), Brazil (6), Argentina (5), Italy (5), England (4), Germany (4), Russia (4) and Mexico (4) have the most candidates, followed by France (3), Portugal (3) and Turkey (3).

After the team’s performance, a player’s popularity is the most important factor in drawing crowds to the media and TV screens. In 2007 some 2.7 million IFFHS users cast their votes.

Vahedi Nikbakht, Persepolis’ current top scorer, is one of Iran’s most popular player.

He sits in sixth place in the rankings, bagging 69.916 votes.
 
Interim result:

1. Óscar David Suazo (Honduras) Sport Lisboa e Benfica 196.079
2. Mohamed Aboutreika (Egypt) Al-Ahly Cairo 159.955
3. Marcos (Brazil) SE Palmeiras São Paulo 86.954
4. Rogério Ceni (Brazil) São Paulo FC 84.141
5. Faisal Agab Sido (Sudan) Al-Merreikh Omdurman 72.509
6. Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht (Iran) Persepolis Tehran 69.916
7. Dario Srna (Croatia) FC Shakhtyor Donetsk 18.649
8. Yasser Al-Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) Al-Hilal FC Riyadh 10.173
9. Vladimir Bystrov (Russia) FC Spartak Moscow 9.003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peyrovani named Persepolis coach

PTV - Former Iranian national soccer captain Afshin Peyrovani has been named as the interim coach of his former club Persepolis of Tehran.

"The decision was made by the club's board of directors on Wednesday morning," said Persepolis managing director, Dariush Mostafavi.

The 38-year-old Peyrovani expressed his pleasure at the appointment.

"I am happy that I have been selected as the club's interim coach. This is the toughest responsibility in Persepolis but I hope to gain good results with my colleagues' cooperation," Peyrovani said.

"We should resume our growing trend by getting a good result in Saturday's match against Paykan in Qazvin," he added.

The new coach further promised that the Reds would win the country's Premier League, the Hazfi Cup and Asian competitions.

Peyrovani replaces former coach, Afshin Qotbi, who resigned on Tuesday evening and left the country for the UAE on Wednesday morning, citing 'broken promises' by club authorities as the reason for his departure.

Persepolis has performed poorly this season and currently stands fourth in the Iranian Premier League (IPL) on 22 points.

 

Nikbakht banned from World Cup squad

PTV - Tehran's Persepolis striker Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht has been banned from playing in the Iranian national soccer squad for two years.

The order was issued by the disciplinary committee of the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) on Tuesday evening.

The punishment came after Nikbakht failed to accompany his country's national soccer team on a camping trip to Qatar last week.

The player has also been ordered to pay a 100 million rial (almost $10,000) fine.

"I accept the verdict and have no complaints about it," Nikbakht said. "I apologize to all Iranians for the incident and hope to play in the national team again."

Iran, coached by Ali Daei, will face the UAE in its third World Cup qualifying match this afternoon. The two teams drew 0-0 in Tehran in the previous qualification round.

Iran is in Group B of the final Asian qualifying round, competing with Saudi Arabia, North Korea, South Korea and the UAE for a place in the 2010 World Cup.

Persepolis coach Qotbi resigns post

PTV - The coach of Tehran's popular team Persepolis, Afshin Qotbi, has resigned from his post and left the Iranian capital for Dubai.

Qotbi announced his resignation following a training session on Tuesday evening.

The coach revealed that he had stepped down because authorities at the club had failed to keep their promises.

"When I came back to Iran, Persepolis authorities made lots of promises to provide me with good conditions but most of these promises were not kept," Qotbi said.

"My resignation is the most painful decision I have ever made in my life," he added.

Qotbi wished success to the Reds saying, "I hope they are successful in the Premier league and the Asian competitions."

Defending champion Persepolis has performed poorly this season and currently sits in fourth place in the Iranian Premier League (IPL) with 22 points.

The title-holder has been defeated four times this season, loosing against Mes of Kerman, Abumoslem of Mashhad, Foulad of Khuzestan and Moghavemat Sepasi of Shiraz

Two UAE players suspended for Iran match

Alkhaleej - DUBAI, The national team administration has announced the exclusion of two national team players Subait Khater and Ali Abbas from the squad due to disciplinary measures , as the result of their presence outside the residence team at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai.

A Obaid Al Shamsi, vice-president of the technical committee and national team manager said that the two players wer not in the room at 11 p.m., and we were awaiting their arrival in the hotel, but they did not show up at that time, but returned Ali Abbas returned later

In the early morning hours, while Subait Khater returned to the hotel at nine in the morning.

Al Shamsi stressed that the team reject the presence of uncontrolled player in its ranks, so we decided to exclude them, especially as the President of the Federation Mohammed Khalfan Al Rumaithi said that the team does not need a player uncontrolled even if that player will lead us to win any game.

Al Shamsi pointed out that the players would be summoned and disciplined at a later stage and given stern penalties by the technical committee of the FA according to the disciplinary measures for such incidents.

Football Association will provide details of the players leaving the camp. It should be noted that punishment to be imposed on the players will also apply to their participation with their respective clubs Al Ahli and Al-Jazeera in all competition this season.

The coach of the national soccer team called in Salem Khamis and Yousef Jaber to replace the players excluded because of lack of discipline.

Daei paid tribute to Bagheri

MNA - TEHRAN, Iran football coach Ali Daei on Tuesday praised captain Karim Bagheri as a great player.

 

Speaking at the Azadi Training Camp, Daei said, “Karim Bagheri is a great player, who played well against Qatar and we will count on him during the match against the UAE team.”

 

Bagheri returned to the national team for Qatar match after spending seven years in the wilderness.

Daei’s side won over the Qatari team 1-0 in Doha.

 

Persepolis captain last time played for Iran against the Republic of Ireland in the 2002 World Cup qualifications.

 

“We are well-aware that the United Arab Emirates is very dangerous against us. They want to qualify for the final round, so they are determined to get all points. Iran will struggle to beat them.” Daei stated.

Iran will play the UAE on Nov. 19 in Dubai for the 2010 World Cup qualifications. 

 

Daei: Iran will beat UAE

PTV - Iran's soccer coach Ali Daei says Iran will defeat the United Arab Emirates in Dubai to pave the way to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

"I respect the UAE squad and I know that they have good players but we came here to get the three points of the match," Daei said after ending a training session in Al Wasl Stadium on Monday night.

"The UAE has been defeated in all its three matches and undoubtedly has a great motivation to beat Iran but we need the points as well," he added.

The Iranian coach further explained that his team will qualify for the World Cup if they win the UAE in Dubai and come victorious over South Korea in Tehran.

"I am well-aware of the recent developments in the UAE and I know that they have invited six new players to their team to gain a victory against Iran," Daei explained.

He also pointed out that the Iranian outfit has held very good training sessions and is completely ready to clash with the UAE.

Iran will face the UAE in its third qualifying match on November 19. The two teams drew 0-0 in Tehran in the previous qualification round.

Iran is in Group B of the final Asian qualifying round, competing with Saudi Arabia, North Korea, South Korea and the UAE.

 

persian gulf cup

	Club	Pts	Pld	GD
1	Paykan Qazvin	28	14	12
2	Zob Ahan	28	14	6
3	Esteghlal	25	14	13
4	Perspolis	24	16	5
5	Foolad Kh.	21	14	3
6	Sepahan	21	14	3
7	Mes Kerman	21	14	3
8	Bargh Shiraz	20	13	6
9	Moghavemat S.	18	14	-1
10	Saba Battery	17	13	2
11	PAS Hamedan	17	14	-7
12	Saipa Karaj	14	13	-5
13	Aboomoslem	14	14	-6
14	Malavan	14	13	-7
15	Esteghlal Ahv.	14	14	-9
16	Rah Ahan	13	14	-4
17	Payam Mash.	13	14	-6
18	Pegah Gilan	9	14	-8

Rezaei inks deal with Persepolis

 Former Livorno defender Rahman Rezaei has signed a six-month contract with Persepolis hoping to save the club from mounting crises.

"I have signed a six-month contract with Persepolis but I am still waiting for my International Transfer Certificate (ITC)," Rezaei said on Wednesday.

"I am really happy to play for such a popular team and I hope I can use all my experience to help the club both in the Iranian Premier League (IPL) and Asian competitions," he added.

The 33-year-old Iranian national played seven seasons in Italian clubs including Perugia, Messina and Livorno.

 

The Reds dismissed Afshin Qotbi's Brazilian assistant Marco Antonio Alvarez and player Paulo Roberto do Carmo on Friday.

Defending champion Persepolis has performed poorly this season and currently sits in the fourth place in the IPL table with 22 points.

Many blame the club's poor performance on disorganized defending, which is expected to improve with the new signing.

 

Iran Pro League

Regular
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
Bargh	2	2	0	0	5	1	4	6
Perspolis	2	2	0	0	4	1	3	6
Zob-Ahan	2	2	0	0	3	1	2	6
Pegah	2	1	1	0	2	1	1	4
Rah-Ahan	2	1	1	0	1	0	1	4
Mes	2	1	0	1	4	1	3	3
Esteghlal	2	1	0	1	2	1	1	3
Foolad	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	3
Abomoslem	2	1	0	1	1	2	-1	3
Sepahan	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Peykan	2	0	1	1	2	3	-1	1
Saba Battery	2	0	1	1	1	2	-1	1
Moghavemat	2	0	1	1	0	1	-1	1
Pas-Hamadan	2	0	1	1	1	3	-2	1
Esteghlal Ahvaz	2	0	1	1	1	5	-4	1
Payam	1	0	0	1	1	2	-1	0
Saipa	1	0	0	1	0	1	-1	0
Malavan	2	0	0	2	0	4	-4	0

Qotbi back with Iran's Persepolis

Iranian-American football coach Afshin Qotbi has signed a new contract with Iran's league champions Persepolis, just a month after he quit the club for family reasons, media reported Sunday.

The flamboyant Qotbi had won a massive following last season after returning to Iran from the United States and winning the league title and his abrupt departure caused great disappointment among Iranian football fans. But Persepolis lured him back with a new two-year contract reportedly worth an annual 800,000 dollars that was signed on Thursday, Iranian news agencies reported.

Before leaving Iran on Saturday, Qotbi said the club's aim next season would be victory in the AFC Champions League. "When I started my job at Persepolis last season, I promised the fans that I would win Iran's league title and we did just that. Now, we are going to win the Asian Champions League and I think it's possible.

"I am so happy to come back to my homeland. Lionhearted Persepolis did a great job last season and has the potential to do it once again," the Mehr news agency quoted him as saying.

Qotbi previously worked with the US national team and football academy before a long stint assisting successive Dutch coaches Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat and then Pim Verbeek at the South Korean national side.

Despite spending most of his life in the United States, Qotbi has insisted he is first and foremost an Iranian. "If you are born in a country and spent your childhood there you are from that country. I am always an Iranian," he told AFP in an interview in June.