AFC - Iran’s new coach Afshin Ghotbi has a tall task as he tries to salvage a FIFA
World Cup 2010 qualification campaign that sees Team Melli close to the brink of
elimination.
Crucial Group B matches against DPR Korea (away), United
Arab Emirates (home) and Korea Republic (away) are coming up for Ghotbi, who was
thrust into the Iran limelight after replacing Mohammed Mayelikohan.
Ghotbi is the third Iran coach since the team were beaten 2-1 at home by
Saudi Arabia in the World Cup qualifier on March 28, after which Ali Daei was
sacked.
The-afc.com managed to catch up with Ghotbi before the team left
for a training stint in China.
The-afc.com: You have
been appointed as Iran coach at a time when football in the country is at a low
following the FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifying defeat to Saudi Arabia. How do you
initially propose to make it more positive?
Afshin
Ghotbi: I will try to build more unity. I will respect everyone and
allow the players, coaches and clubs to work together, as well as the fans. We
need their support to help us qualify.
I will try to share with everyone
and try to foster a sense of “we are team” and that it is about all of us, not
just one person.
The-afc.com: You are well respected
because you have worked with big names in football. What lessons have you
learned from Guus Hiddink when he was coach of Korea Republic?
Afshin Ghotbi: He led the Korean team to fourth place
in the FIFA World Cup 2002 tournament in a very crucial period. His concerns
were not only restricted to coaching. Hiddink came up with wonderful medical,
technical and media management programmes as well. He is a very smart man. On
top of that, he created a wonderful atmosphere within the team. What I learned
from Hiddink was to build a positive atmosphere and to work with full focus on
the task at hand.
The-afc.com: Are you still in contact
with Hiddink? Do you still ask him for advice?
Afshin
Ghotbi: Yes, I still maintain links with him. Not only Hiddink but
other coaches I have previously worked with such as Dick Advocaat, (Australia
national coach) Pim Verbeek and US coach Steve Sampson.
The-afc.com: Iran’s big problem is scoring goals. Korea
Republic have had similar problems in the past because they never had a
recognised striker. How did Hiddink overcome this problem at the 2002 World Cup?
Afshin Ghotbi: It is not only a Korea Republic problem.
DPR Korea or even Japan also have the same problem. I think they have a lot of
difficulty in the final third of the pitch. The fear of making mistakes was a
problem for the Koreans when it came to shooting or making that important final
pass. Having that cutting edge is always a problem for Koreans and Japanese.
I believe the influence of fringe coaches has changed the way they have
played football over the past few years.
The-afc.com:
But Iran also suffer from not having a proper goalscorer as well.
Afshin Ghotbi: No, the problem is different. Iran has
the quality to convert a zero opportunity into a goal. The current problem
is the lack of sufficient replacements and giving them the chance to mature into
top goalscorers.
And it is not limited to strikers. There is also a
shortage of left-footed players. In addition, we also have few choices in the
centre of defence. I need two or three options for this position. This is what
we had in Korea. We have a good number of international-level players in various
positions.
The-afc.com: What has been Iran’s main
problem in Group B of the World Cup qualifiers so far?
Afshin
Ghotbi: It is complicated. I prefer no to talk about the past. I do not
like my players to stay in the past. We have no time to go back to those days.
Iran even reached to FIFA World Cup in 2006 but could not show their true
abilities. Now, Let us move forward.
The-afc.com: What
do you know the about curent Korean team. You left there after AFC Asian Cup
2007.
Afshin Ghotbi: I have been with them in two World
Cups. Then, Pim Verbeek and I restructured the team for Asian Games 2006 in Doha
and Olympics in 2008. I brought in some young talent such as Kim Seung-yong from
FC Seoul. Many of them are fixtures in the national team now. We helped them
adapt to new tactics.
The-afc.com: Your knowledge about
Korea is not limited to their technical abilities. You have been working with
Korean football since 1999.
Afshin Ghotbi: I know
Korean culture and their mentality very well. When it comes to the FIFA World
Cup, I have to say they are very experienced. Korea Republic have been qualified
six times (in a row, seven altogether). Although our match in Seoul is on June
16, it is the last group match and they may have already earned their ticket by
then.
The-afc.com: You also had chance to lead
Persepolis (Piroozi) to the championship in 2008 and you have good experience
in Iran as well.
Afshin Ghotbi: I know all about these
four nations - Iran, the two Koreas and UAE. Korea Republic traditions, though,
are very close to DPR Korea's. We (Korea Republic) beat them (DPR Korea) 3-0 in
Doha in the 2006 Asian Games in the quarter-finals. I also used to live in the
Emirates and watched their football
closely.
The-afc.com: How can you help Iran against
the two Koreas? You say you know them well.
Afshin
Ghotbi: The match against DPR Korea is not do-or-die. They do not have
World Cup experience and there is a lot of pressure on them now. If they concede
one goal, they lose stability. It is not easy for them to play in Pyongyang. I
know how important it is to score the first goal
there.
The-afc.com: Will you stay on if Iran do not
qualify for the World Cup?
Afshin Ghotbi: I will stay
here as long as the Iran FA and the millions of the fans in Iran want me. I am
very proud of working here. Twenty years ago, people were laughing when I told
them I would one day reach the World Cup. We will sit down with the Iran FA
after the qualifying campaign. If we qualify, we may extend the contract for
another one year.
The-afc.com: At the moment you have
all the support in Iran. What if you lose in DPR Korea? What if people turn
against you as they did to previous coaches?
Afshin
Ghotbi: We have to be mentally prepared. When I say we, I mean my team,
the media and the people. We need to get a minimum of six points. We have 270
minutes of matches to do that. I am very hopeful.
The-afc.com: Are you prepared for play-off matches if
you finish third? Are you prepared for countries such as, possibly Uzbekistan or
Bahrain, and New Zealand?
Afshin Ghotbi: I hope it does
not get to that stage. But we are prepared to fight all the way to the FIFA
World Cup 2010. I have a very positive feeling about my team after two weeks of
training in Tehran.
Interview by the-afc.com’s Farsi Editor
Shahin Rahmani.
The views express in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of AFC.