The impassioned plea for Karimi to return to the national set-up was made by a fan on one of the many Iranian online football forums.
And though he has retired – for the second time – from the national set-up, there is a flicker of hope from fans that he will again return to work his magic for Team Melli.
At nearly 31 years old, he still has the amazing ability to conjure up goals from nowhere, having already scored a league-leading 10 for Steel Azin in the Iran Pro League.
Team Melli return
The-afc.com can also exclusively reveal that coach Ashfin Ghotbi has opened the door for Karimi’s return to the national fold.
It is now up to the man himself. And fans are under no illusions that it might need a miracle to lure him back.
Karimi rarely talks to the media, but his spokesman, Abolfazl Jalali, told the-afc.com: “He needs to see some changes in the Iran set-up and until then he will not come back to Team Melli. But I can assure you that Karimi has lots of motivation now.”
Karimi’s first retirement from the national team ended in February this year after Ali Daei was sacked as Iran coach. Karimi and Daei never saw eye to eye, even when Daei was a player.
He returned to Team Melli to play under Ghotbi but it was too late to help Iran qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa.
Karimi then quit Iran again, along with two other legends, Mehdi Madhavikia and Vahid Hashemian.
Steel Azin
No sooner had the shockwaves subsided when Karimi, the 2004 AFC Player of the Year, caused another massive jolt to Iran football. This time, it was at club level as he left Tehran giants Pirouzi to join newly promoted Steel Azin.
Many thought that would spell the end of Karimi’s time in the spotlight. Instead, he has been shining brighter than ever, scoring regularly for the club and touching the hearts of his die-hard fans.
Such has been his performances that Pirouzi is desperate to take him back, with the club already having approached Steel Azin for a mid-season deal.
His possible return to an elite club has inevitable spawned talk of a national team comeback.
Indeed, Ghotbi is finding the striker increasingly harder to ignore. The magician is refusing to disappear.
The Pele of Iran
The coach has no doubt about Karimi’s ability, comparing his
importance to Iran as that of Pele’s to Brazil or Johan Cruyff’s to the
Netherlands.“Ali Karimi is the same for us,” Ghotbi (pictured) told the-afc.com. “He is the unique. We can’t even imagine that Iran football will ever have another Karimi with his character and style … never.
“He is not a person who waits for assists. Karimi is a real captain now. He is versatile for Steel Azin. He is wherever the team needs him.”
As for the national squad, Ghotbi is leaving it up to Karimi.
“I have no doubt that we will be a better team with Karimi. But it is his decision. I can only promise that the door is open to every player who is prepared to play,” Ghotbi said.
“At the end of the day, I am the coach and I have to take care of structuring my team. My wish is for Iran to be mature enough so that they will not depend too much on any individual player.
“After losing on the World Cup, this is the time to rebuild, whether it is players, our mindset or culture. I hope I have 40 quality players of different ages and experience and I will be telling them that they have a lot to learn from players like Ali Karimi.”
While Ghotbi’s priority is for Iran football as a whole, for many fans, the desire for Karimi’s return is based on more simplistic values.
All they want is for the magic to return to Iran football. And who better to deliver them from “boring” football than the magician himself?
Shahin Rahmani, Farsi Editor
Any views expressed in this article are that of the author’s and does not necessarily reflect the views of AFC or AFC officials.