German coach of Esteghlal Tehran on verge of being fired

IRNA - The German coach of Iran's football powerhouse Esteghlal-e Tehran, Roland Koch, is about to be dismissed from his post, following his team's mediocre performance this season, the bi-weekly sports magazine kicker said on Monday.
It also cited Koch's recent verbal dispute with the Iranian Football Federation, suggesting that the federation had tried to manipulate the outcome of the recent top football match between Persepolis and Esteghlal which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Koch who joined Esteghlal this season, has not been able to fulfill the club's championship aspirations.
Esteghlal is currently ranked 6th with 17 points out of 12 matches and has virtually no chance to win this year's Azadegan football league title.