The Iranian National Team Deserves Better

GOAL - It’s Déjà vu for Iranian football fans. In the build-up to the 2006 World Cup, friendly matches were hard to come by. Those that were arranged were cancelled and only old faithful friends like Bosnia and Costa Rica provided preparation for a third appearance on the global stage.

A week ago, the 2008 version of Team Melli which had already had a friendly with Bulgaria scratched, was looking forward to four friendly matches –against Charlton Athletic, Marbella, Malaga and Egypt.

None will now go ahead. Some of this can be blamed on the oft-incompetent Iranian Football Federation (IFF), some on the other teams but one thing is for sure - Team Melli, one of the best in Asia, deserves better.

The Spanish pair cited ‘technical reasons' for the cancellations. It was claimed that the English side did so under pressure from the UK government but the London club rejected the reports, saying that the game had never been confirmed - probably true as the IFF does have a tendency to annouce games before they are confirmed. Egypt however, said that: "The Egyptian foreign ministry told us to reconsider playing the match. They did not oblige us to cancel it, but we decided to call off the match."

It is an understatement to say that Iran has long been somewhat isolated politically. The recent missile test has made the already tough task of finding willing warm-up partners that much more difficult.

Even the most passionate Team Melli fans wince at the irony of such officials as Mehdi Taj and Mohammad Aliabadi complaining about mixing politics and sport. In the past Iran has been guilty of mixing politics and sports internationally. And as far as football goes – there are few places where the two are entwined like they are in Tehran. Most high-ranking football officials in the capital owe their positions to knowing people in influence in the government. Some even suggest that national team coach Ali Daei can say the same...

Still, if teams around the world don’t want to play Iran then the answer is simple –don’t arrange games against the team. Nobody forced Egypt to agree to play a game against Iran. Presumably, the Egyptians had few problems with the Iranian government when the game was scheduled.

If it is down to the missiles then it is harsh on the Iranians. If weapons tests are enough to cause matches to be cancelled then there must be teams from other nations - some of which have done more than test - that have a lot of free time. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.

For their part, the IFF would be advised to be a little more careful and thorough when organising Iran's preparation schedule.

It is a cliché but football really can bring people together. Watching the wonderful Iranian fans in Frankfurt and Nuremburg in 2006 singing, laughing and joking with their Portuguese and Mexican counterparts was proof of that.

Those Iranian fans, among the most passionate in the world, are the ones who suffer. Less than two months before the final stage of qualification for the 2010 World Cup gets underway, Iran’s preparations are in disarray and it will soon be time for the annual phone calls to Bosnia and Costa Rica.

John Duerden
Asia Editor