Tehran - After six years abroad, Iranian midfielder Ali
Karimi, once nicknamed as 'Asia's Maradona,' has returned to Iran to
play in the local premier league, ISNA news agency reported Friday.
'I have returned to my home club,' Karimi told ISNA before signing
a one-year contract with his former club Persepolis Tehran.
Karimi, still considered by many football experts as Iran's best
player, left Persepolis in 2002 and played for three years with the
United Arab Emirates' Al-Ahli club.
His strong performance in the UAE and in the national Iranian team
made Bayern Munich sign him for two years but Karimi could not fulfil
the German club's expectations and was only used as substitute.
In 2007 he changed to Qatar SC but again in the Gulf sheikhdom,
Karimi failed to repeat the performance of his UAEA days and
eventually decided to return to Iran.
His biggest disappointment was however after head coach Ali Daei
did not even nominate him for Saturday's World Cup qualification game
against Saudi Arabia. Daei's decision is said not to be only because
of Karimi's form.
Last May Karimi termed the current squad, including both
federation and coach Daei, as the weakest in his 10-year presence in
the national team. Since then he has reportedly been unofficially
banned from the national team.
The match against Saudi Arabia is the first qualification game in
Asia group 2 where Iran will also meet the United Arab Emirates and
the two Koreas.
ArashSep 5th, 2008 - 15:21:38
This is good move for Ali Karimi, I do not know why he went to bayern munich, his play quality set back in Germany. He is one of the best player of asia and world but chose to go to germany that her football system was completely different than karimi play style and that cuased he even miss national team now.
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