Coach disappointed after Iran U-23s trip to Brazil cancelled

AFC - Iran U-23 coach Rene Simoes is disappointed after a scheduled preparatory trip to Brazil for his charges was cancelled on Friday owing to problems with the travel documents of several players.

Iran are the defending Asian Games gold medallists and were to play a number of friendlies with Brazilian clubs, an important part of Simoes’ plans in the run-up to their title defence in Doha later this year and also the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Twenty-five players were called up last Thursday and started training a day later for the tour, which assumed special focus after the senior team’s poor performance at the ongoing World Cup, but at least eight of them didn’t have passports.

“We were supposed to fly on Thursday but we were still trying to make the players’ passports available here in Tehran yesterday,” Brazilian Simoes told www.the-afc.com.

“It is not worth going to Brazil in this condition. Players, who are back from Germany, cannot come with us while the others players’ passports are not ready.”

“The Brazilian League starts again right after the World Cup and there is no chance to play with the clubs later. So I had a meeting with the football federation officials we discussed the issue and I suggested that this trip be ignored. It is not worth it anymore.”

A hectic schedule was on the cards for the team had they flown to Brazil. First up for the Asian Games champions were 2005 FIFA Club World Championship winners Sao Paulo on July 1, followed by Santos four days later. Simoes’ men would have crossed swords with Palmeiras on July 8 and shaped up for two games against the Uruguayan U-23s in Montevideo towards the end of their tour.