“Iran has not won the Asian Cup championship title since 1976 and we are going to put an end to this in January 2011 in Doha,” Ghotbi told the Tehran Times.
“I believe that the Iranian people are our 12th player, and the media the 13th,” Ghotbi said in a news conference on Tuesday.
Ghotbi has long been feuding with the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (F.F.I.R.I.) but both parties have recently admitted they have put their differences aside.
“Iran will participate in a training camp in Austria from July 11 to 24,” he continued. “We will also take part in another training camp ahead of the Asian Cup. Iran will play four friendlies in the camp.”