Iran wants local coach for national football team

Jul 9, 2006, 17:43 GMT

Tehran - Iran wants to employ a local coach for its national football team, the news network Khabar reported Sunday.

Dariush Mostafavi, the temporary secretary general of the Iranian Football Federation (FFI), told Khabar that at least for the time being an Iranian coach would be employed for the national team.

Former coach Branco Ivankovic resigned after the poor performance of the Iranian team at the World Cup in Germany where the team only gained one point from its three games. Ivankovic reportedly wants to work in his native Croatia.

The Iranian Sports Organization, which is part of the Iranian government, has already fired FFI President Mohammad Dadkan following the flop in the World Cup where the team had hoped to reach the second round.

Tehran sports radio reported Sunday that former national team coach Mohammad Mayelikohan is a favourite to take over for next month's Asian championship qualification games.

Mayelikohan has already been fired twice by the FFI as coach of the national team and the under-23 team.

Local media speculation that former Dutch international Ari Haan might take over the national team seems to have been false although it has still not been ruled out due to his presence in Iran as trainer of Persepolis Tehran.