Zandi still interested in playing for Iran

IRNA - A spokesman for second Bundesliga division team VfB Luebeck here Tuesday denied press reports about its
German-Iranian midfield star Ferydoon Zandi having second doubts on joining the Iranian national football team.

"This can`t be true because Ferydoon has received an invitation by the Iranian Football Federation for April 28. However he has an upper thigh injury which will sideline him until early May," Luebeck spokesperson Klaus Borchert told IRNA.

Borchert added that even if the news of Zandi`s alleged disinterest in the Iranian national team were true, he would have known beforehand because of his steady contacts with the Iranian Football
Federation.

A local German news online site reported Monday that Zandi, whose father is Iranian and mother is German, was having second doubts about his decision to play for his father`s homeland.

The 24-year-old Zandi who was expected to start for Iran in the first stage of the Asian qualifying round of the 2006 World Cup, cited allegedly growing "doubts over his Iranian identity" as the primary reason for his pondering.
Recent FIFA rule changes allowed the former member of Germany`s under-21 national football squad to play for Iran`s A-team.