Clemente case closed by Iran after renewed rejection

DPA - Javier Clemente will definitely not become coach of Iran after the Spaniard on Thursday cancelled a proposed meeting,ISNA news agency reported Friday. "We do not even think of Clemente any more," Iranian Football Federation (FFI) Ali Kafshian told ISNA.

Clemente was supposed to meet with officials at the Iranian embassy in Madrid on Thursday to reconsider the offer to coach the national team.

Clemente had earlier turned down the offer because Iran football officials insisted that he live in Iran and not - as he had proposed - only travel to the country for matches.

"Tomorrow we will introduce the new coach who will be a local trainer," Kafashian said.

The employment of a new head coach for the Iranian national football team has turned into a never-ending story with the FFI changing decisions on a daily basis.

Kafashian had said Monday on state television that Clemente was no longer an issue and a local coach would instead be employed within the next 48 hours.

But instead of disclosing the name of the new local coach, Kafashian on Wednesday once again raised Clemente as the first option.

The state television warned the FFI that they were losing credibility by constantly changing decisions and leaving the Iranian national football team without head coach in the World Cup qualification games.

The sports programme 90 made a TV survey Monday night on their favourite national team coach and more than 70 per cent of the viewers voted for Iranian-American Afshin Qotbi who currently trains the Tehran team Persepolis.

Besides the fans, Qotbi is also considered by most of the football experts as a much better option than a second-class foreign coaches.

Iran has been the only national side in Asia without a head coach and started its World Cup qualification campaign with a disappointing goalless draw against Syria earlier this month. The second game will be against Kuwait next month.

The Iranian sports press fears that a further delay in appointing the national team coach would seriously jeopardize Iran's Cup chances to reach the 2010 World Cup. Iran previously qualified for the 1978 tournament in Argentina, the 1998 competition in France and the 2006 finals in Germany.