[IRAN] First, Iran began 2010 World Cup qualifying without a national team coach. Now, two coaches have been reported to have been selected to Iran in its fight to qualifying for the World Cup finals for the fourth time.
For a while, it looked like Javier Clemente would be named as national team, but the veteran Spanish coach refused to live in Iran – a condition that nixed the deal.
Then Iranian-American Afshin Ghotbi appeared to have landed the national team job when the semi-official Fars news agency quoted the deputy head of Iran's soccer federation (FFI) as saying on Sunday that Ghotbi, who returned to Iran last year to coach Persepolis, had been appointed.
But FFI president Ali Kafashian was later on Sunday quoted as saying former Iran star Ali Daei had been picked to lead Team Melli.
Iran opened World Cup qualifying without a national team coach and was held to a 0-0 tie by Syria.
Daei, 39, scored 109 goals in 149 games for Iran. He then went to work as coach of Iranian club Saipa.
Ghotbi attended UCLA and later was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. He has extensive experience with the South Korean national team.