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Tehran Talk: World Cup Hangover Still Being Felt In Iran
The beautiful game is a frustrating one for fans in Iran...
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Dec 17, 2009 2:21:09 AM
These days, chatting about football is not a favorite
pastime of Iran fans. In their day-to-day conversations, average Tehran
Citizens often dismiss or negatively refer to their once favourite sport.
Post Election events and Team Melli’s failure to qualify for the2010 World Cup could be the main reason for this decline in what was referred to as “The Green Pitch Fever” amongst most of the Iranian football fans.
Team Melli’s recent loss to Jordan in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier did not help the cause. It was compared to pouring salt on the wounds inflicted on the morale of the fans caused by missing the South Africa train.
The usually noisy Team Melli practice session was so quiet two days prior to the home leg against Jordan that one could hear the players whisper to each other on the pitch.
I was surprised to see Afshin Ghotbi running the warm up drills himself. The players looked calm but their lack of enthusiasm was obvious, and somewhat irritating.
Team Melli barely won the home leg two days later, but the loss to Jordan in the return leg in Amman was a bitter pill for the Iranian fans to swallow, despite the fact that Iran still leads the group and has a great chance to qualify for the Asian Cup finals.
In the days that followed, coach Ghotbi tried to treat the loss as “a part of the game”, but, like many coaches before him, he was reminded that, no matter how popular, no Team Melli Coach is ever immune to sever criticism after a such a loss.
Acceptable results in friendly matches with Iceland and Macedonia prior to the encounters with Jordan impressed neither the fans nor the media. To the contrary, the ever critical sports writers have removed their weapons of criticism from their holsters, and are now aiming them directly at the bewildered coach.
The tension between the coach and the media has reached new heights. In recent weeks the media has been shamelessly attacking Ghotbi, and treating him as if he is an alien from another planet.
Ghotbi defends his position so weakly that it leaves the impression that he is about to throw in the white towel and resign.
Meanwhile the public watches this one sided fight with little curiously and enthusiasm.
Six months ago, Team Melli and football were “the mother of all topics” amongst the Iranian football fans, but now only the diehard ones follow the news, and even they seem too exhausted and concerned about the future prospects of their team; some even feel betrayed by the football establishment.
Like many other aspects of life in today’s Iran, Iranian football too has its fundamental flaws.
Not all is lost. When one witnesses the excitement of tens of thousands of Tabriz fans feverishly supporting their recently promoted team, Tractor-Sazi, in the poorly organized Iranian domestic league, the true potential of Iranian football shows flashes of hope for a better tomorrow.
Mehran Afshar
Post Election events and Team Melli’s failure to qualify for the2010 World Cup could be the main reason for this decline in what was referred to as “The Green Pitch Fever” amongst most of the Iranian football fans.
Team Melli’s recent loss to Jordan in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier did not help the cause. It was compared to pouring salt on the wounds inflicted on the morale of the fans caused by missing the South Africa train.
The usually noisy Team Melli practice session was so quiet two days prior to the home leg against Jordan that one could hear the players whisper to each other on the pitch.
Afshin Ghotbi With The Players
I was surprised to see Afshin Ghotbi running the warm up drills himself. The players looked calm but their lack of enthusiasm was obvious, and somewhat irritating.
Team Melli barely won the home leg two days later, but the loss to Jordan in the return leg in Amman was a bitter pill for the Iranian fans to swallow, despite the fact that Iran still leads the group and has a great chance to qualify for the Asian Cup finals.
In the days that followed, coach Ghotbi tried to treat the loss as “a part of the game”, but, like many coaches before him, he was reminded that, no matter how popular, no Team Melli Coach is ever immune to sever criticism after a such a loss.
Acceptable results in friendly matches with Iceland and Macedonia prior to the encounters with Jordan impressed neither the fans nor the media. To the contrary, the ever critical sports writers have removed their weapons of criticism from their holsters, and are now aiming them directly at the bewildered coach.
Staying Strong Under Media Fire
The tension between the coach and the media has reached new heights. In recent weeks the media has been shamelessly attacking Ghotbi, and treating him as if he is an alien from another planet.
Ghotbi defends his position so weakly that it leaves the impression that he is about to throw in the white towel and resign.
Meanwhile the public watches this one sided fight with little curiously and enthusiasm.
Six months ago, Team Melli and football were “the mother of all topics” amongst the Iranian football fans, but now only the diehard ones follow the news, and even they seem too exhausted and concerned about the future prospects of their team; some even feel betrayed by the football establishment.
Interest Is Currently Low
Like many other aspects of life in today’s Iran, Iranian football too has its fundamental flaws.
Not all is lost. When one witnesses the excitement of tens of thousands of Tabriz fans feverishly supporting their recently promoted team, Tractor-Sazi, in the poorly organized Iranian domestic league, the true potential of Iranian football shows flashes of hope for a better tomorrow.
Mehran Afshar
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
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