Iran's Daei not ready to quit club job for national team

The controversy over the head coach job of Iran's national football team continued after Ali Daei on Monday refused to quit his job at his club for the sake of the national team, which is a clear violation of local rules. According to Iranian Football Federation (FFI) regulations, the national team coach should not have two jobs, but made for the first time an exception in Daei's case.

Daei said on state television that he worked hard for his club Saipa Tehran to become local champion last year and would not let down the team at the Asian Champions League games later this year.

"We are living in Iran, a country which has had no FFI head (since 2006) and no head coach for eight months? In such a country the criteria should accordingly be different," Daei said justifying his insistence on the dual commitment, at least until after end of the champions league games in June.

FFI President Ali Kafashian told state television that Daei was allowed to keep his club job "as Saipa Tehran playing in the champions league was de facto like Iran (national team) playing."

The state television charged Kafashian and the FFI with violating their own rules, and further wondered whether the appointment of Daei instead of favourite Iranian-American trainer Afshin Qotbi was a FFI decision or taken from outside, referring to the sports organization affiliated to the government.

Qotbi said earlier Monday that he would never work together with Daei, Fars news agency reported.

"I congratulate Daei once again on his appointment as head coach and hope that he will lead the team to the 2010 World Cup - but I would never work with him in the national team," Fars quoted Qotbi as saying.

In a major surprise, FFI president Ali Kafashian Sunday introduced Daei as head coach although his deputy, Mehdi Taj, had disclosed on the same day that Qotbi would be the new national team trainer.

"I reached an agreement with Kafashian on Saturday and even said goodbye to my players (of the club Persepolis Tehran) - but I don't know what happened after that. For a reply, I just look at the sky," Qotbi said.

Daei, who also played in the German Bundesliga for Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin, has not yet appointed his assistants and there was speculation that he would take Qotbi.

The 45-year-old Iranian-American, who has strong coaching credentials including assistant coach of the United States and South Korea national teams in the World Cup games 1998, 2002 and 2006, is widely regarded by local football experts as the most qualified person to lead Iran's national team.

The 38-year-old Daei however has only a year's experience as coach, although in his first trainer job he led his club Saipa Tehran to the premier league championship.

Observers say considerations other than football-related issues may have played a role in the decision, especially as Daei was not even among the five candidates for the post.

Daei will lead Iran in the first round of the qualification games against Kuwait, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Iran, who have been without a head coach since last July, started their World Cup qualification games with a disappointing goalless draw against Syria earlier this month. The second game will be against Kuwait later this month.

Although the FFI has promised to keep Daei until the World Cup in South Africa, local sports media hardly believe the FFI any more after the numerous contradictions over the employment of Portuguese Arthur Jorge, Spaniard Javier Clemente and Qotbi, all three at least once declared publicly as national coach.

Observers believe that if Daei failed to take the Iranian team to the second qualification round, local pressure would force both him and the FFI immediately to cease cooperation.