TEHRANTIMES - Fitness coach Michael ‘Mick’ McDormott parted company with the Iran football team on Tuesday.

The Northern Irish coach has reportedly joined Al-Nasr of the UAE, which is headed by Walter Zenga. He worked with the Italian from 2006 to 2010 in Al-Ain.

McDormott denied that he had been interviewed by an Emirati site, which claimed that he said that Iran coach Carlos Queiroz had given up hope of his team advancing to the World Cup.

“I left Iran just for my family and nothing else. I’ve never said Queiroz is hopeless. I hope to see Iran in Brazil and I wish them all the best,” McDormott said.