By Jesse Fink
April 17th 2009 @ 2:38am
Related coverage
Iranian politics claims the Ghotbi candidacy
Iran's Masoud Shojaei, left, is challenged by Saudi Arabia's Mohammad Al Nakhli during their World Cup Asia group 2 qualifying soccer match at Azadi stadium, Tehran on Saturday March 28, 2009. AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian
In recent months, I’ve been introducing on The Roar and The World Game the story of Afshin Ghotbi, the Iranian-American former coach of Persepolis and former World Cup assistant coach to Guus Hiddink, Steve Sampson and Pim Verbeek.
Ghotbi was a shoo-in for the Iran national men’s team coaching position vacated by Ali Daei but had the rug pulled out from under him – again, the second time in as many years – by the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation (IRIFF) for Saipa Battery manager Mayeli Kohan, despite being announced in the position a number of times on the preceding weekend in the Iranian media.
Kohan had negligible public support (three per cent in some polls against Ghotbi) and an average coaching record, but what he did have in his favour was the right connections – and connections count for everything in football, especially Iranian football, where the separation of powers between federation and state are non-existent.
FIFA, as well all know, has had a long and protracted tussle with the IRIFF over political interference in football.
Ghotbi, for his part, has been meeting agents in northern Europe and Scandinavia with a view to get a club gig there. He has also offered to help Kohan pro bono, especially with his intimate knowledge of Korean football (two of Iran’s next three opponents are North Korea and Korea Republic, games they must get a result in to have any hope of qualifying for South Africa 2010). There’s been no word yet if Kohan has taken him up on his generous offer – but don’t hold your breath.
Interestingly, some parts of the Iranian media have linked Ghotbi with a move to rejoin Hiddink, this time at Chelsea. But that seems fanciful given Hiddink himself has given no guarantees he will be staying at Stamford Bridge, despite the pleas of captain John Terry for him to stay on once the Premiership and European campaigns for this season are over.
But if he doesn’t go to Chelsea, he might just end up with Hiddink in Russia and go to the World Cup after all, where the old trio of Verbeek, Ghotbi and Hiddink (South Korea’s brains trust at Korea-Japan 2002) will be reunited.
Stranger things have happened. Don’t rule it out.
Again, and I wrote this for The Roar a couple of weeks back, it just underlines what a lost opportunity it was when we had Ghotbi in the country and he made all the right noises about wanting to work in the A-League but his overtures fell on deaf ears – apart from the ambitious and forward-thinking Tasmania United.
We live and learn.
As for Iran, which also spurned a golden opportunity to snaffle folk hero Ghotbi, it has its work cut out for it. It must get six of a possible nine points from its remaining Group B qualifiers and the trips to North and South Korea are away games. A tough ask.
No one in Iran is confident. The prevailing view of the fans and the independent football media is the IRIFF has blown it even before a ball has been kicked.
It’s not hard to disagree.
Get Australia's best Football opinion emailed daily.
Like this content? Buzz it up!
Free Email updates:
Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport or that author. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it. We value privacy. More...
(30)
Slippery Jim said | April 17th 2009 @ 8:08am | Report comment
Ghotbi: The biggest non story in world football.
md said | April 17th 2009 @ 9:17am | Report comment
Statistically, they are pretty close, and Kohan is currently operating with a 60%+ win ratio in the national league.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayeli_Kohan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afshin_Ghotbi
Cheers
md
Art Sapphire said | April 17th 2009 @ 11:08am | Report comment
Jesse – get a few wealthy backers and form your own A-League club.
You can have Ghotbi as manager and Carle playing in midfield as your Marquee.
Problem solved.
Here’s the latest Nick Carle update.
“Carle: I’m A $2 Million Flop”
http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/101048,carle-im-a-2-million-flop.aspx
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 17th 2009 @ 11:28am | Report comment
Actually SJ, Ghotbi’s story is very much one of the IFF which is one of our most important immediate competitors. In December 2007 I recall the IFF courting Trousier and Verbeek and eventually they settled on Artur Jorge. Unfortunately the IFF was sanctioned by FIFA for political interference and a new board was eventually appointed and overturned the decision leaving Team Melli coachless a week or two before their first World Cup Qualifier. A couple of days before their first qualifier with Syria they signed Javier Clemente who wisely put off signing until after the game, which they drew. After the game it transpired that Clemente didn’t want to be based out of Tehran so the IFF tore up the contract and were going to sign Ghotbi as the best qualified Iranian for the job, however due to the dire straits of the IFF they went for Daei, presumably on the basis that he was a crowd favourite and the fans would be pleased (it is the best rationale I can think of as it appeared a poor decision at the time from an outsider’s perspective – which it proved). It was a last minute off-the-cuff decision as Ghotbi believed he had the job and had already said goodbye to all the players and staff at Kafshian where he was coaching.
The IFF once again find themselves in a mess due to their own decision making and have made another interesting (for the rest of us) decision in plumping for Mayeli Kohan instead of Ghotbi. Team Melli for me is a wonderful example as to how an association’s dithering can have a direct impact on the field.
In relation to the A-League, it is a matter of a very qualified coach being available and A-League clubs not going for it. I am undecided on this particular issue as whilst I am in favour of getting the best coaches available I am also wary of the English approach of dropping coaches on a whim. I think though that some of the coaches have had a couple of years with squads and have yet to produce results with the players on hand and Ghotbi could easily have replaced them. That said I do not know how much he is demanding on the wage front, nor the existing contractual obligations of the A-League clubs to their coaching staff.
Jesse Fink said | April 17th 2009 @ 12:47pm | Report comment
Thank you, Ben of Phnom Penh. I’m so tired of this character sniping at my sincere attempts to broaden the Australian view of the world game. Please go away – or, if you don’t have anything constructive to say, don’t say it all.
Slippery Jim said | April 17th 2009 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
Ben, an eloquent post in which you have explained the situation very well, and I can see the indirect association the subject has in the broader AFC national football environ.
I am simply not at all interested personally in the gent, it seems more a subject to savour for a national football connoisseur such as yourself rather than those bred on more rough bread and butter fare, or more to the point; shallow and sensation-hungry folk like myself.
I am just another willing participant in the magic show I guess
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 17th 2009 @ 1:20pm | Report comment
SJ, the AFC national football environment is one that I often struggle to understand. Certainly the recent, rather public, problems at the AFC in relation to the West Asia FIFA seat have thrown much of what I thought I knew into disarray.
I suppose what Jesse is trying to do here is generate debate on the wider engagement of Australia in the Asian football fraternity, coaching being one aspect of this. I read this morning that Fury are looking to tour Singapore and Malaysia for the pre-season and gold Coast’s links with China are well publicised; these are links that reflect our growing relationship.
I must confess that I do have an interest in Australia’s engagement with Asia as I can see this as a wonderful development tool for our domestic football scene. As such we need to identify those opportunities that Asia offers so that we can obtain the maximum return from this relationship. Coaching is one aspect that Jesse has identified, particularly in relation to Ghotbi, and hence discussion as to why the opportunity was not taken needs to occur.
The magic show is indeed fun and without the willing participants the game would not be where it is today though I do appreciate that discussions on the machinations that make the magic show what it is can be droll at times. Mind you the Cambodia v Nepal game I watched at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh could certainly be described as rough bread and butter fare, though you would have starved if you were sensation hungry.
Pippinu said | April 17th 2009 @ 1:29pm | Report comment
I agree with what Ben of PP is intimating, as interesting as this guy’s background is, it’s perhaps a step too far to conclude that each of the 8 A-League clubs were somehow remiss in not contemplating this bloke for a coaching role. There could be a whole lot of legitimate factors as to why it didn’t work out: timing, contractual obligations, money, and yes, maybe even a touch of ignorance and arrogance (on the part of club adminstrators).
But going over the last two season, which club would have been best positioned to take advantage of this wandering minstrel?
Before the start of this season, GVE was being hailed as the next NT manager.
The two great Scots who have been there since day one were doing well enough.
The Roar had nabbed a former NT manager (not to be sneezed at).
Vidmar took AU far into the ACL.
The Nix don’t really count.
That leaves the Glory and SFC.
SFC only truly imploded this season (they made the finals the previous three seasons, although they have managed their own version of musical chairs in a short space of time, and opted with a bloke who had achieved a degree of success in the first two years of the comp), while Glory have had recent coaching changes due to 4 reasonably ordinary seasons, and were perhaps best positioned to take advantage of someone like Ghotbi.
But then we have to consider the resources available to Perth (presumably, it’s not a hell of a lot), and how keen Ghotbi would be to take on such a basket case in the first place (in the end Perth gambled with an ex-Socceroo, which isn’t the worst scenario imaginable).
So I’m not really sure if the timing was truly right for Ghotbi to waltz into a club and weave his magic – but is it necessarily too late?
Slippery Jim said | April 17th 2009 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
Ben, Cambodia (175th) V Nepal (169th) is certainly a niche story worth telling, surely – I always play Nepal on my playstation when I want an easy romp to victory on Pro Evolution! It would have been a fascinating tussle. Are the Nepalese players really as short as they appear on playstation?!
I suppose I have fallen for the old underestimation of Asia syndrome, you (and Jesse) are right that Australians should be paying more attention to AFC related matters. I will have to put away the fruit loops and pull out the all-bran (metaphorically speaking).
As for A-League coaching, I personally think (unless a club is focussing on the AFC Champions League and nothing else) that we should be looking (if no Australian coaches are available, as I feel the A-League should be a breeding ground for Aussie coaching talent) to countries that are superior to us rather then at or below our level for quality coaches.
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 17th 2009 @ 1:40pm | Report comment
SJ, they are shorter. It was fun to be at the ground to be sure. The Cambodians were all over the Nepalese, however didn’t use their height advantage at all (yes, Cambodia with a height advantage, who would have believed it) however had a single “Cambodian moment” in defense and the Nepalese pounced.
We drank beer out of cheap plastic bags with straws. It certainly makes you realise why they call in the World Game.
Art Sapphire said | April 17th 2009 @ 1:45pm | Report comment
Good Post Ben – Team Melli’s loss to the Saudis a few weeks ago was their first loss on home soil in a competitive game since the mullahs took over 30 years ago.
This from the Guardian on Ali Daei’s recent sacking.
“The match was witnessed by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s president, who is said to have been instrumental in ousting him.
Ahmadinejad had hoped a victory would bring him political capital before the presidential poll in June. The desire to score a propaganda coup even prompted the president’s fans to credit him when Iran took a 1-0 lead. But the euphoria evaporated in the last 12 minutes and Daei’s fate was sealed as a mass mobile phone text to Ahmadinejad’s supporters went out, reading: “Due to the importance of national public opinion to Dr Ahmadinejad, Ali Daei has been forced out.”
Who cares about the state of the Iranian economy, the mullahs know where there bread is buttered.
Good grief, Jesse. I did not realise your posts had become humour free zones. Ouch! : )
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 17th 2009 @ 1:55pm | Report comment
Interesting Art, another IFF – FIFA bust up in the offing?
Brian said | April 17th 2009 @ 4:22pm | Report comment
Well said SJ. Why should we focus on country’s below our standard. Why would an A League club choose an Iranian coach over an Australian one. I think true soccer followers know there is a lot of luck in football and so this guy’s involvement with Hiidink does nothing to make me think he would succeed as a first team coach. In a similar and more high level situation think of the current Portguese manager – Queroz. He has worked years under Ferguson yet left to his own devices he has so far come mid-table with the Galacticos at Real Madrid and is currently struggling to take a Ronaldo led Portugal to the WC. Personally I am convinced I could do better. Back on topic and Aussie coaches should be encouraged (Graham Arnold aside) and certainly favoured ahead of an Iranian no-one has ever heard of. I’m sure we all live busy lives so stories not related to Australia or the cream of the crop (Europe) are a waste of most people’s time. No disrespect to Nepal or Cambodia inteneded
dasilva said | April 17th 2009 @ 4:57pm | Report comment
Afshim Ghotbi had one season as a head coach. Yes he has won Iran Premier League with his only season as head coach but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is a must have coach.
Yes he was assistant under Hiddink. Then so was Graham Arnold.
The only thing he has proven is that he is a better coach then Arnie by having some success at club level.
Also the Iran League is rank below Australia in the AFC. So how is his achievement any more meritocratic then Ernie Merrick winning the A-league twice.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t get Ghotbi and perhaps he is one of those young coaches that could eventually become a great manager in the future. After all the club Persepolis were impressed in how professional he was at his job but his CV doesn’t say he is a “must have” coach that an A-league club has to be mad to pass over.
Really his CV is no better then Vítězslav Lavička.
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 17th 2009 @ 5:44pm | Report comment
Brian, according to your approach we should all drink French wine, even if it is cats doings.
You may not know, nor care, as to who Sheik Ahmad Fahd al-Sabah is however it would shake our collective comfortable Australian existence if he (currently OCA President) managed to work his way to some level of power in the AFC. Yet despite his ability to wreak havoc he is surprisingly neither from Europe nor Australia, he is Kuwaiti. Topics that challenge what we think we know are important and add vibrancy and texture to the broader debate as to the state of the game in Australia. It is the World Game and if we want to progress then we have to analyse that world, not just the bits that we like to talk about down at the pub. Ignorance isn’t always bliss.
Fair enough re: Nepal and Cambodia, though if a story did come up you could always not read it.
As for the Iranian league being ranked below Australia’s domestic competition…. so does Indonesia and Kuwait.
In relation to Ghotbi I think that Dasilva and Pippinu have the better points. The question needs to be why we do or do not do things rather than accepting the world as it is.
The Bear said | April 17th 2009 @ 7:57pm | Report comment
My Iranian (read Persian) mates seem to hang their head when detailing Iranian Football. Thanks Jesse for the update. The HAL is not ready for a “middle eastern” coach. It’s a cultural thing, but it’s probably fair appraisal. I am all for it, and wish the man all the best.
The Bear said | April 17th 2009 @ 7:59pm | Report comment
Slippery, grow some balls man… this blog is not all about you and your “entertainment”…. really, very poor form. Stick to some juvenile content, say 44two or somethin’?
Midfielder said | April 17th 2009 @ 9:10pm | Report comment
Das
Good to hear from you … Jes & others just bear (no relation to the poster) with me a little I will get to the topic… Das & others I have posted in the Mariner’s fans forum a list of Australia radio shows broadcast on the net that may be of interest to you ..http://marinators.net/forum/index.php?topic=3480.0
Also Das have you used playlist you need to add the .com after but it an awesome site I have over 500 songs on it now and my youngest son who is an IT genius somehow copied my playlist on to media player so I don’t even use up streaming limit at home..
Jes, (thanks for letting me chat to Das)and back to topic . SJ .. maybe not the coach himself but the politics of a major football competitor, remember 1997, .. well it’s good to see someone actually giving us this info … we need to play some ACL & Socceroo matches against these guys and the better we understand them as far as I am concerned.
Midfielder said | April 17th 2009 @ 9:11pm | Report comment
Das
sorry that link is .. http://marinators.net/forum/index.php?topic=3480.0
Slippery Jim said | April 17th 2009 @ 11:16pm | Report comment
Ah…the furry woodlands creature decides I have not shown enough contrition already on this thread and decides to leap out of cover and maul me as if I were some crazed German lady jumping the fence at the local zoo…
This time, for once, you have hit the nail squarely on the head, my furry associate. This blog is all about entertainment, as, in fact the entire game of football, and all it’s peripheral bits and pieces is. In fact all sport is essentially show business. What’s more, I know you agree with me. I know for sure that you don’t want to see dull boring defensive football, do you? You want attacking, skillful football played with great skill and derring-do, preferably with eye candy like Nick Carle twirling around on the pitch while you lean back in your plastic spring loaded seat and chow down on that half time pie and sauce, all the while writhing in voyeuristic tittilation.
Like me, you surely don’t kid yourself that you are reading these opinion pieces to be informed do you?
It’s interesting you mention juvenile content on 442 – personally I have never posted a single comment on their blogs due to agreeing with your alleged opinion – I’m sure you would never bother with it either, would you “the bear” – or should I call you “Oh Yeah”?
As for your telling me to grow some balls, all I have to say to that is, I bet you love fishsticks, don’t you
dasilva said | April 18th 2009 @ 12:24am | Report comment
Sorry Jesse for hijacking this blog for a moment
Midfielder
Thanks for telling me about Playlist.com and the various football radio station. I just listen to a bit of 442 radio and it’s pretty good. I probably listen to TWG radio on the way home from placement this monday. Although I can see how useful playlist can be, I feel I have already a large playlist on my computer (90 gb) already but if there’s a song I want to check out from a band I haven’t heard for before I think that will be useful website to know.
Did you post up your playlist on that website?
I also uploaded another song I’ve written where I just finished recording my vocals today on youtube called “Looking back” and I would like you to have a listen to it and tell me what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxUd_McQfSk
Midfielder said | April 18th 2009 @ 6:11am | Report comment
SJ
On the Nicky thing … ei has been a disappointment according to himself.
http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/101048,carle-im-a-2-million-flop.aspx
Midfielder said | April 18th 2009 @ 6:13am | Report comment
Das
Will listen latter today and get back latter today .. have lots of work to do.
The Bear said | April 19th 2009 @ 6:16pm | Report comment
Oh, Slippery it’s just so thrilling bantering with you. Yes, you have got me, Ohhhh what am I to do!!!
Jeez, get a life.
Slippery Jim said | April 19th 2009 @ 7:41pm | Report comment
Gee Oh Yeah, you’re snappy reply is only two days late, I had almost forgotten what we were talking about. Too busy posting your thoughts on 442 blogs were you?
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 21st 2009 @ 2:36pm | Report comment
it appears that Mayeli Kohan is already finding himself in trouble with the IFF….
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1277/west-asia/2009/04/21/1220550/mayeli-kohan-already-in-hot-water-in-iran#comments
Midfielder said | April 21st 2009 @ 11:32pm | Report comment
Das
Not bad mate your voice at times a little to soft … you have a soft rock or gentle country voice … I have attached a song sung in the 80’s by J D Souther, who left the Eagles (you hear him on a number of Eagle tracks) BTW he went back to the Eagles but he has a similar style and voice … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1po5MES23qo ..
The song is called ..” Your Only Lonely”… JD style and use of AHhhhh & OUOUOU is similar to yours…as I said his voice is also similar to yours … maybe next Christmas or just after but well before University is back go to Tamworth busk a bit on the streets .. Actually after new year go to Byron for a couple of weeks and do some busking practice then head off to Tamworth .
Hope you enjoy but took some time to remember the guys name and the song title … but have a listen see what you think..
Jes … very sorry …. but have a listen to Das’s youtube and then JD as well see if you agree.. also posted a comment on your youtube.
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 22nd 2009 @ 9:49am | Report comment
I’m starting to hear rumours that Mayeli Kohan has quit two weeks into the job. If true the Greek tradegy, or Shakespearean comedy depending upon your point of view, continues unabated.
Jesse Fink said | April 22nd 2009 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
Ben, it’s true
http://goal.com/en/news/1277/west-asia/2009/04/21/1221508/reports-mohammed-mayeli-kohan-resigns-as-iran-coach-after-just-tw
Joe FC said | June 28th 2009 @ 10:20pm | Report comment
Well Jesse
there’s now a coaching vacancy in the A-League. Has Ghotbi got work at the moment?