Saipa FC Coach takes a shot at Team Melli Coach Afshin Ghotbi

The latest Iranian Professional League coach to take a potshot at Team Melli Coach Afshin Ghotbi is Saipa FC coach Nader Faryadshiran.

It is not unusual for any nation’s national team coach to become the target of other coaches. There are many reasons for such behavior. It could be honest professional disagreement with the direction the national team coach is taking, or it could be the old club vs. country rivalry amongst other things. But there is also professional jealousy.

In case of Nader Faryadshiran it is hard to tell what prompted his attack on Ghotbi, but it was certainly unprovoked.

In an interview scheduled to cover Saipa’s upcoming match against Perspolis Faryadshiran started by criticizing the tight schedule that is typical of a World Cup year. He then went on to criticize the way his players were often called to the national team training camp.

“We went through the same thing last year when many of our players were called into national duty and ended up with various injuries”, the Saipa Coach told reporters. “Of course we would not object if the Team Melli got the results that we all hoped for, but that clearly was not the case.”

“Afshin Ghotbi told us that he knew Korea Republic team as he knew his own backyard, and promised us a trip to South Africa and did not deliver. If we had to depart with 10 players for the sake of qualifying and qualify, no one would object, but who is accountable now that we have not?” continued the coach. “If I got the Italy, or England job, I could promise Championship, but what if I failed? Would I agree to collect only a portion of my contract? As if the unfulfilled promises of making it to South Africa was not enough, they are now promising winning Asia.”

Faryadshiran went on to promise to make Ghotbi a gift of a brand new Peugeot automobile (Manufactured by Saipa Corporation).