Tehran Times - Iran national football team coach Carlos Queiroz was named as Asian Coach of the Year for 2017.
What the Portuguese has done over the last four years have been nothing short of tremendous but 2017 was truly a positive year for Iran’s national team, football-tribe reported.
Under tutelage of Queiroz, Team Melli never lost any official matches in 2017, also not conceding in 12 consecutive matches in the process. At the same time, they clinched positive results against teams like China, Russia and even Venezuela.
Iran were one of the first teams to secure their ticket to Russia and the former Manchester United assistant boss deserves much of the credit for that feat.
Al Hilal lost to Urawa Reds in the AFC Champions League final, however, no one can deny Ramon Diaz’s success in bringing a domestic double to the Saudi Arabian club in 2017.
Before the Argentine manager took over, Al-Hilal struggled to win the league and finished in second or third place for five years straight, but last year they again became champions.
Ramon Diaz is the second in the list.
South Korean coach Yoon Jong-Hwan came third after success with Cerezo Osaka.
Urawa Reds Diamonds Takafumi Hori finished in fourth place.
And Persepolis coach Branko Ivankovic sat in the fifth place.
The former “Team Melli” coach returned to Iran in 2015 to resurrect Tehran giants Persepolis. In his first full season on the Persepolis bench his side fell just short in the league on goal difference but in the second one, Ivankovic’s men clinched the trophy three weeks before the end of the season.
In 2017 Persepolis also won the Super Cup and reached the AFC Champions League semi-final.
More than their results, Persepolis’s performances in last two years have cemented Branko’s position amongst the Reds fans. In the current campaign they remain on top with a nine-point buffer ahead of second place, and it looks as though Branko will have another successful year ahead of him.