The 58-year-old is in Iran to negotiate with the Tehran-based team’s officials. “This is my first visit to Iran and I am optimistic about your football’s potential for progress,” Tumbakovic said.
“I remember your team in the two 1998 and 2006 World Cups. Iran had a good performance against Yugoslavia which was one of Europe’s strong teams at that time,” he added.
“I have studied your football and found out that I can work in Steel Azin,” Tumbakovic concluded.
Tumbakovic is the most successful coach in the history of Partizan Belgrade where he won six national championships and three national cups.
From January 2004 to December 2009, he was the manager of Shandong Luneng in the Chinese Super League.