Welcome to Iran Arie

Okay I was wrong! It was not a rumor. Arie Haan did come to Tehran, and he did sign a coaching agreement with Perspolis FC.

Not much is released about the details of his contract, but we know that it is for 18 months and he will have his assistant from his China job, Teo De Jong, with him.

Perspolis is one of Iran’s oldest and most popular clubs. It used produce internationals on regular basis. Stars like Ali Daei, and Mehdi Mahdavikia made their name with Perspolis.

In recent years the club has fallen on hard times mostly because of bad management. The new president, however, has promised better days and so far he seems determined to deliver. His first major move to gain some respect for the club was to invite Bayern Munich to Tehran for the much publicized friendly. Now he has signed a known foreign coach.

I don’t know if Haan can succeed under the current circumstances or not, but he is a worldly man and must have signed his contract under terms that would make his success more likely.

I am still skeptical, but welcome to Iran Arie.