Tehran - Iran on Sunday appointed former Iranian skipper Ali Daei as new head coach for Iran's national football team, ISNA news agency reported . The surprise appointment had followed an announcement Friday by the deputy president of the Iranian Football Federation (FFI), Mehdi Taj, that Iranian-American Afshin Qotbi would be coach.
But FFI president Ali Kafashian said the job was now going to former striker Daei, whose clubs have included Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin.
According to ISNA, Daei, who has been a coach for just a year, was not even among the five candidates for the post.
Football observers believe considerations other than football-related issues may have played a role in the decision, saying Qotbi was far more qualified than the inexperienced Daei.
Daei told ISNA he was honoured to have been chosen for the post and would soon announce a detailed programme.
He will lead the national team in the first round of the World Cup 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 next month.
After huge success in the Iranian league, Daei, now almost 39, went to Germany in 1997 and played in the Bundesliga for Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin.
In 2002, he returned to Iran and played for several Iranian teams as well as for Iran at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. As a result of the team's disappointing performance and harsh criticism, he ended his national team career after almost 14 years.
In 2007 he took the coaching post at Saipa Tehran, winning the league in his first year as trainer and leading the club to this year's Asian Champions League.
Daei is highly respected in Iran as former national team skipper who holds the record of more than 100 goals for Iran. But he also has enemies in the Iranian football circle who charge him with being overambitious, egotistic and greedy.
