They are a bunch of babies I tell you!!

Today it was Javad Kazemian’s turn to pout and leave the Team Melli facilities because he found out that he would not be accompanying Team Melli to Seoul!

The midfielder has not been getting any playing time under Afshin Ghotbi, and that has not been sitting well with him. Team manager Mansour Pourheidari told reporters that he did not know anything about the circumstances under which Kazemian left the camp, but if he’s done this in protest, there will be disciplinary actions against him.

Always the politician, Coach Afshin Ghotbi downplayed the situation and claimed that Kazemian’s departure was based on a mutual understanding and he intends to call him back should Iran is forced to go the play out route.

Another player who won’t be accompanying the team to Seoul is midfielder Farzad Ashoubi who was replaced with fellow midfielder Iman Mobali.

Kazemian has been consistently overlooked by a series of four coaches starting with Branko Ivankovic. He was a promising midfielder/winger who came on the scene with a lot of potential, but for whatever reasons never lived up to them.

Kazemian is the last of a number of players who have left the camp under dubious circumstances, mostly in protest for not getting any playing time.