Iranian Football Players in Europe: A Bridge Over Amateurism (Part II)

Iranian Football Players in Europe: A Bridge Over Amateurism (Part II)

Tamashagaran; Soccer Monthly
Oct. 1999, No. 44
By: Majid Abbasqoli
Page: 5 - 13

Summary: The record of Iranian football players' presence in European teams goes back to half a century ago. The main departure of Iranian footballers to Europe took place after the Asian Cup in 1996. At present, there are 12 Iranian players only in Germany. There are others playing in Austrian, Greek, Belgian, Chinese, American, as well as some other Asian and European clubs.

Text: 5. MEHDI MAHDAVI KIA
BOCHUM - HAMBURG, GERMANY
FRESSH FRUIT OF SOCCER

After Mahdavi Kia's shinning appearance in the World Cup, various invitation letters were sent to him by different European clubs. Bochum and Tottenham showed the greatest willingness to absorb this phenomenon of the year of Asian soccer. At last he was dispatched to Bochum under a 2.5 year contract worth three million marks.

This figure scored a record in the sale of Iranian players abroad. Although China's Dalian club proposed to pay four million dollars for Mahdavi Kia under a 2-year contract.

This figure registered a record in the sale of Iranian players abroad. Although Dalian club proposed to pay four million dollars for Mahdavi Kia under a 2-year contract, but Mehdi showed willingness towards the German club more.

Like other Iranians, Mahdavi Kia faced the serious problem of lack of coordination when entering the team last January but since the almost bankrupt German team had paid a heavy price for getting this player, Toppmuller, Bochum's coach using all he could, gradually made use of Mahdavi Kia. And truly he shone well and scored goals for Bochum three times. However, the general weakness of the team, prevented it from remaining in the first division contests and it relegated to the second division losing 18 million marks. Mahdavi Kia was transferred to Hamburg till the end of his contract with Bochum at 25 million marks.

In the first weeks of the new season in Europe's soccer, Hamburg acted with full success and thanks to its offensive strategy and shinning of Mahdavi Kia who has been titled as Missile due to his extraordinary speed, won the Bundesliga title after 12 years.

In Pagelsdorf's plans, Mehdi is always a key player and performs the role of a winger, forward, or a skipper, and with regards to his shortness, he hits free kicks and corner kicks. Under these conditions, Hamburg officials seem unlikely to be able to keep their young and shinning star at the end of the current season's contests.

6. KHODADAD AZIZI
COLOGNE, GERMANY

A number of Iranian footballers, playing for European leagues, experienced a difficult period in the previous season for various reasons, among whom is Khodadad Azizi, the small-statured and dribbler from Mashhad (northeast Iran). He who signed a contract worth more than one million dollars with Cologne for three years was entrapped in this contract and was forced to play in the second division bundesliga. Proposals made by Spain's Valencia, Jubilo Iwata and Kashima Antlers of Japan were not that enticing so that Khodadad would be sent to these countries. On the recommendation of Terri Venables, Tattenham voiced willingness to have Azizi.

Khodadad faced a great number of problems in the previous season. Numerous confrontations of Cologne's coach, Bernd Schuster, with main players including Khodadad and his perceivable poor performance caused that he would be boycotted by the team for a long time. But in the closing weeks of the Bundesliga2, he gradually found his place in the team and turned to a fixed player in Cologne which was in the middle of the second division and after a long time he scored a goal.

With the start of the current season in German competitions, no improvement was seen in Azizi's situation. Khodadad, who had claimed from a long time ago that Cologne's new coach Leinnen (previous coach of Hansa Rostock) had assured him that he would be in the main composition of the team, did not play more than one minute in the first three weeks of the Bundesliga2 while there were contradictory rumors on his being transferred to Turkey's Antalianspor.

The Kicker magazine wrote: Cologne which had previously set a price of 1.25 million marks for Azizi, would now sell him for 500,000 marks.

His renewed and successful presence lately improved the situation to some extent although his problems with the National Iranian team seem to be everlasting.

7. MEHDI PASHAZADEH
BAYER LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY
FIXED PLAYER ON THE BENCH!

Pashazadeh was among very successful Iranian players in the 1998 France World Cup. He was chosen as a member of the world elected team twice and from among proposals by different European clubs, he joined Bayer Leverkusen. The decision made by the club officials did not bring that luck for him and instead the best defense of the Iranian soccer experienced a dim and disappointing season. The figure of Pashazdeh's contract like those of two other Iranian footballers of the same team (Yazdani and Mousavi) as well as a number of other Iranian players were not disclosed. Their names were not even mentioned on the telexes of news agencies or the official list of seasonal transactions.

Last year, Mehdi appeared in the field in a friendly game against Mallorca and scored one of the several goals of his team. He also played in one of the UEFA Cup games and remained on the bench as a substitute or out of it throughout the first half of the German season.

With the start of the second half and with respect to the injury of one of the defenses of Leverkusen, Pashazadeh found a new chance to play but unfortunately injury got him too and kept him away from games. At the end of the season, he was transferred to a small cage named Fortuna Cologne (a weak team in the second division of the Bundesliga) in order to be at the disposal of Harold Shumacher on loan. After two months in the Bundesliga2, nothing has been heard about Mehdi except for the possibility of a knee surgery. What factor is really behind Pashazadeh's poor performance? Will the answer to this question remain a secret as the figure of his contract?

8. DARIOUSH YAZDANI
BAYER LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY
A MAN WHO WANTED TO BE ZIDANE

Darioush Yazdani was another Iranian talent who possibly became a victim to the cheap figure of his contract. Although the officials and coaches of Leverkusen always confirmed technical values of Yazdani, and even Voller calls him Zidane but the grave difference of the figure of amateur contract between Leverkusen and Esteqlal, made Yazdani a player on the bench so that he was not given the chance to play even for a minute.

The game between the national teams of Iran and Japan in Yukuhama displayed the considerable progress of this player. In that game, Darioush with his extraordinary running and crossing rapid kicks with both feet, displayed the role of an acceptable midfielder in today's world soccer. Voller and Daum once again started praising him after seeing the film of the contest saying six other German teams are after him but they will not give him away to any other team.

9. NIMA NAKISA
VEROIA & KAVAL, GREECE

Nakisa, who was the goalkeeper of the national team in Iran's first game in the World Cup France against the powerful team of Yugoslavia and was chosen as the 13th goalie of the world cup, attracted the attention of several foreign clubs including three Greek ones. Nakisa entered into action individually and not through his Iranian club. From among the three teams of Panathinaikos, Kavala and Veroia, Nima chose the weak team of Veroia in order to be a fixed player but after three weeks he joined Kavala club. At the very beginning he was injured but after he recovered, his financial disputes with the club arouse forcing Nakisa to lodge a complaint. In this way, Nima left Greece with bitter memories. He went to Italy for some time but failed to join a club. His failure to be play seriously, took away from him the chance of being a member of the national team although he always mentions financial disputes with the federation as the reason for his separation from the national team.

10. REZA TORABIAN
STANDARD LIEGE, BELGIUM
YEAR OF SILENCE AND FREEZE

Reza Torabian, the fast and good-tempered player of Perspolis, strongly attracted the attention of Ivic at the beginning of the past season in Europe's soccer and joined his (Ivic) pupils in order to play as the defense of Standard Liege. But tactical lack of coordination of the player prevented his presence in the make-up of Ivic's team. Torabian with Standard Liege ranked sixth in the Belgian Cup, however, since it was hard to tolerate sitting on the bench, he was looking for a new club.

11. SERJIK TEIMORIAN
MAINZ, GERMANY
FROM BENCH TO BENCH

Teimorian who was entrapped by the strong tactical poverty of Iran's soccer for years, faced serious problems in a not so famous team like Mainz in the first year of his entry to the European soccer and except for four games, he sat on the bench as a substitute. He was in a similar situation at the beginning of the current season of contests.

12. VAHID HASHEMIAN
HAMBURG, GERMANY
LOOKING FORWARD TO YEBOA'S FALL

Vahid Hashemian, in his first national game hit an unprecedented record and scored his national team goal in the first 30 seconds of the game.

Hashemian, a a player with Tehran's Pas team, joined Hamburg by receiving 700,000 marks but failed to be listed in the main make-up of the team. Presence of stars such as Anthony Yeboa, Rodolfo Cardoso and Roy Praeger have dimmed Hashemian's chance of appearing in the field.

Yet he was among the first substitutes for the strike line and whenever the forwards of the team failed to play, Hashemian appeared in the field as a full time player.

In a home match between his team against the Turkish Trabozonspor (within the framework of Intertoto Cup), Vahid scored his first official goal for Hamburg. Pagelsdorf lays much emphasis on Hashemian's success and believes his power to use his left foot can be mentioned as an example.

13. SEYED ALI MOUSAVI
BAYER LEVERKUSEN, FORTUNA COLOGNE
FORTUNA, DESTINATION OF A PLAYER WHO JUST WANTED
BUNDESLIGA

Mousavi, the player of the national Iranian team from the city of Khorramshahr, was among the most successful players of the past season in Iran's soccer. Despite his serious injury, he displayed to be a very creative and offensive player. Scoring six tactical goals in Asian games, 10 goals in Azadegan League, three very sensitive goals in the Asian Clubs' Cup and other goals within the framework of Iran's Soccer Cup and the Canada Tournament (against Ecuador), presented him as an international player. Mousavi who claimed to be ready to play merely in the Bundesliga, went from Leverkusen to the weak and second division Fortuna Cologne team.

Anyhow, he scored about 75 percent of the goals of fortuna Cologne in the first month of contests of the second division of Bundesliga.

14. SIROUS DINMOHAMMADI
MAINZ, GERMANY
FIRST IRANIAN WEARING NO. 10 IN BUNDESLIGA

Sirous Dinmohammadi, the former veteran, left-footed and technical player of Tehran's Esteqlal, joined Germany's second division Mainz club to play along with his other compatriot, Serjik Teimorian. Sirous like Serjik joined Mainz as an on loan player. In fact the two players are still considered as Esteqlal players. The amount paid for taking Dinmohammadi on loan for two years was announced to be only 250,000 marks. Sirous is among the few Iranian players who appeared in the field as a fixed player from the very beginning of his entry to the new foreign team. he wears the shirt No. 10 of Mainz.

SCATTERED LEGIONARIES

In addition to the above-mentioned footballers, a number of other less famous Iranian players are playing in different, not very famous European teams.

Behnam Taherzadeh joined the Publikum of Slovenia for some time and then returned to Iran. Ali Jamshidi, former player of Chuka and Esteqlal-e Rasht, who had joined A.C. Risca (among first division teams of Sweden) since several years ago, attracted the attention of the British coach of A.L.K. team, Stewart Baxto and is to play for that team in the new season. Boxto got familiar with the extraordinary power of Iranian players when coaching the National Chinese Team.

Aideen Baqeri, captain of the youths team of Cologne, is a player who has lived in Germany since childhood and has entered into a 4-year contract with Cologne.

Faraz Livani, also, like Aideen, is among Iranians who have been brought up in Germany. He came to the amateur team of Bayern Munich from the youth team of Unterhaching (third team of Munchen). The 18-year old player is said to have the chance to join the professional team of Bayern Munich.

HASTY, CHEAP IMMIGRATIONS...?!

Presence of three Iranian players in the second division contests of Greece, especially after receiving very low amounts, is the most bitter point in the transfer of Iranian players to foreign clubs. This issue faced objection of the Soccer Federation too. The head of the federation, accurately, criticized such transfers a while ago saying that from now on, the federation will enter the scene to prevent the decrease in the price of Iranian players. Mohammad Moemeni and Ali Chini are among players who joined the second division Greek team... by the famous Greek mediator Vassilious. Apparently they were transferred merely on dlrs 30,000, of which dlrs 25,000 should be paid to the federation.

Seyed Faraz Fatemi also joined the second division Greek team of Agalo under similar conditions and Maziar Rabi'i is to join him.

FAR EAST AND U.S.A.

Hamid Estili and Mohammad Khakpour are among those who opened the doors for Iranian players to join the Far East Leagues. The brilliant presence of these two players not only brought victory for Geylang but also pave the way for a great number of other Iranian players to join the league. Mohsen Garousi, Reza Rezaie-Manesh, Alireza Eftekhari, Majid Namjou-Motlaq, Akbar Yousefi, Samad Marfavi, Mohammad Khorramgah and Alireza Mansourian have been among Iranian players in the league.

Later, a club from Malaysia invited Hossein Khatibi, the then Man of Goal of Iran's league to the country but the invitation was cancelled after an instruction was issued on expulsion of foreign players from Malaysia.

China's professional league which had an eye on Mehdi Mahdavi Kia and Mohammad Mayeli Kohan, hired two other Iranian players in the previous season after failing to absorb them.

1. REZA SHAHROUDI
DALIAN WANDA, CHINA
DISPUTE, CLUB TO CLUB

Shahroudi was among the first immigrants in the new wave of immigration of Iranian players to foreign leagues. He joined Turkey's Altay Izmir for a short time, then returned to Perspolis for some time. He then went to China at the request of Dalian's coach Shugen Bao becoming the first Iranian present in the Chinese League. Dalian is regarded a powerful team in East Asia and in the past years had been the most powerful Chinese team. However, the team's major problems during the last year made Shahroudi return to Iran after some time of presence in the team's make-up and at the Asian Cubs Championships contests. His problem still continue to exist because he did not receive his permanent recommendation from the Altay Izmir.

2. HASSAN SHIRMOHAMMADI
PODANG OF SHANGHAI
SPEARHEAD OF SHANGHAI'S ATTACKS

Hassan Shirmohammadi, the veteran Iranian footballer who has played for the national team, is the favorite champion of Shanghai. Only after one or two months, Shirmohammadi along with this finished third in the final standing. The Chinese team correctly used him as the main striker. He who has displayed a good performance in his first foreign team, has been given proposals by bigger Chinese clubs.

3. MOHAMMAD KHAKPOUR
NEW YORK-METRO STARS
PLAYING WITH BERGOMI AND MATTHAUS

Khakpour is one of the most experienced among the current legionaries of Iran's soccer. His experiences from the Singapore league helped him a lot which include learning English language, paying deep attention to discipline and nutrition, learning ways to establish contact with the professional world and the like. Khakpour appeared in the field in Turkey along with Vanspor team.

Singing a 3-year contract with the newly-established team Chwan Shin Chwan, he went to China a few months ago but he received a proposal from the New York-Metro Stars and Galaxy clubs. After that he went to the United States of America and became a defender in the fixed make-up of the team. Matthaus and Bergomi were later transferred to the team.

Ranking after Andranik Eskandarian, Iraj Danaie Far and Hassan Roushan who were absorbed by American professional clubs in the late 1970s and Arash Now-Amouz who joined Galaxy in the middle of 1990s, Khakpour is the latest Iranian player in the M.L.S.

PLAYERS PLAYING FOR PERSIAN GULF LEAGUES
1. HASHEM HEIDARI
AL-AHLI, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

After soccer clubs were announced to be professional in the United Arab Emirates last year, huge financial capitals were injected into the clubs and a great number of foreign players, including some Africans were absorbed by the clubs.

Jasim Al-Hweidi, the best goal scorer of 1998 in the world, Abdi Pelle, the third man in the history of African soccer and former player of teams such as Marseille, Torino and Munich 1860 as well as Rashidi Dawodi, Africa's man of the year of 1993 and former player of Portugese Porto club were among these players, the first of whom joined Al Shabab and the other two Al Ein.

Heidari was the first Iranian player dispatched to the sheikhdom. After several months of being a player on the bench and sustaining injury, he settled accounts with Al-Ahli and returned to Iran. Heidari joined Esteqlal club.

2. ALI ASGHAR MODIR ROUSTA
AL-AHLI, FUJAIRA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The veteran goal scorer of Iran's Azadegan League and Tehran's Soccer League, who during his 10 years of presence in these cups has been always among the three superior goal scorers of the country under any conditions even when injured, joined Al Ahli club of Fujaira, a second division team in the UAE professional league in the past season. He scored over 30 goals in the second division league contests and several in the UAE Soccer Cup and friendly matches. At the end of his contract with the UAE club, Modir Rousta returned to Iran and once again became the captain of Bahman Club. After the goal-spree and extraordinary game against Perspolis (champion of both Iran's Clubs Cups), several clubs such as Fajr-e Sepasi, Saipa and Esteqlal paid attention to him but he left for the warm-up camp of Al Ahli in Hungary and resumed to play for the team.

3. HOSSEIN KHATIBI
AL NASR, KUWAIT
TRAVEL IN FOG

Hassan Khatibi, the good-tempered striker from Tabriz who scored more than 50 goals for Tabriz's Municipality only in two seasons and in the 1997-98, became the goal scorer of Azadegan League. Within the framework of national team games, he appeared in the field in the four team tournaments of Kuwait displaying part of his competency. His bright appearance made up for the absence of Da'ie to some extent and caused that the officials of Rapid Vienna of Austria and Al Nasr of Kuwait would enter into negotiation with him. He signed a 4-month extendible contract with the Kuwaiti team. The amount of the contract was set at rls 140 million, one third of which goes to Pas Club. The Czech coach of Al Nasr who made the Czech republic runner-up in the European Nation's Cup, showed such a willingness toward Khatibi's presence that immediately after Khatibi's arrival in Kuwait, sent him into the field ten minutes to the end of the contest.

In the very first week, in a friendly match, Al Nasr beat Saudi's Al Hilal with the goal Khatibi scored. Khatibi who was first used as a attacking midfielder continued scoring and making goals in the coming weeks and was considered to be among successful envoys of Iran's soccer. He brought with him request on extension of his contract but it seemed that he had traveled in the fog and nobody had witnessed his successful performance. Omission from the national team for two times, forced him not to return to Kuwait and through his competent presence in the domestic competitions wear the national team's shirt once again.

Other Iranian players have gone to Kuwait for short periods of time in the recent years, among whom were Hamid Estili, Samad Marfavi, Reza Hassanzadeh, Ali Akbarian, Ibrahim Tahami, Shahram Attarzadeh and Akbar Yousefi.

4. AKBAR YOUSEFI
AL-AHLI, FUJAIR, UAE
AKBAR BESIDE ASGHAR

Yousefi, the former midfielder of Tehran's Pas and Karaj's Bahman teams who has played for the national team several times, is the second Iranian player of Al-Ahli. The successful presence of Modir Rousta in the competitions of the past season, made the officials and coaches of the team more and more optimistic about the competency of Iranian players and convinced them to make up for their weakness in the half-way line by making use of an Iranian midfielder.

In the past season, the Iranian footballer Hussein Me'mar played for another second division UAE club.

CENTRAL ASIA

Since the beginning of the current season, Aboubakr Qoreishi, player from Aq-Qola city, joined the Nisa team of Turkmenistan, the country's second team.

After Mehdi Hashemi Nasab, Kazem Mahmoudi, Kouchali, Iraj Arjmandi and Farhali, Qoreishi is the sixth Iranian player who has been absorbed by Turkmen soccer clubs so far.

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