Ghalenoei's Controversial Untold Stories With the National Team: From the Beiranvand and Ghaedi Affairs to Attacks on Critics

The national football team coach addressed controversies surrounding the team, the reasons for omitting certain players, the status of overseas-based players, the Beiranvand affair, criticism directed at the coaching staff, and conditions in Iranian football.

According to the report of Ambassador Arjan, the head coach of the national football team, Amir Qalaen, talked about the latest situation of the national team. In response to the issue that Mehdi Qaidi was not invited to the national team may be due to his statements about his favorite coaches, Ghalenoui said: This discussion has been raised as to why Mehdi Qaidi was not invited to the national team, and some believe that because he said in a program that his best coaches were Farhad Majidi and Stramachuni, I am upset about this and did not invite him. But the issue of inviting technical players.

Referring to Qaidi's time in Esteghlal and comparing the conditions of this team with Ittihad Kolba, he added: "If I were to make a decision based on such issues, I would have to raise the question why when Qaidi was playing in Esteghlal and this team won the championship, he was not invited to the national team during the Carlos Queiroz era and after that during the Wilmots era?" Esteghlal is a big team and it cannot be compared with Ittihad Kolba in terms of football position. We have principles and frameworks, and compliance with these principles is effective in making decisions. But the main issue for us is technical issues. We check the playing minutes of the players, their performance and their conditions using the video of the matches and we make the necessary evaluations to invite the players.

Emphasizing the importance of the players' preparation, Ghalenoui said: We have to see what conditions Mehdi Qaidi is currently in and whether he is a regular player for his team or not. The technical condition of the player is very important, and besides that, his physical condition and preparation are also checked. Qaidi was injured once or twice, and these issues should also be taken into account in the assessment of the players' conditions. For the first time, we formed a very good medical team that regularly checked the conditions of the players and provided us with the necessary reports every day. Decisions about the status of the players should be made according to these reports and expert evaluations.

The effect of eye injuries in the World Cup

Referring to the injury of Rouzbeh Cheshmi, the head coach of the Iranian national football team said: If Rouzbeh Cheshmi had not been injured in the World Cup, maybe 30-40% of our problems would have been reduced in those competitions. He was in one of the best periods of his football and in terms of quality and preparation, he could help the national team a lot.

Referring to the condition of Shoja Khalilzadeh and Ramin Rezaiyan, Qalenoui added: Shoja and Ramin were in very good condition, and Roozbe Cheshmi, if not better than them, was nothing less than them. However, he was injured twice and this affected his condition.

Regarding the non-invitation of some other players, including Mohammad Hossein Kananizadegan and Ali Alipour, in the last camp, he said: There were discussions about these players, but their medical conditions should be checked. It would have been better if medical team colleagues were present in such discussions to explain how the players' injuries were. Not every player who participated in the previous camps will be invited to all the following camps. Sometimes, based on the performance of the players, their conditions and the needs of the team, it is necessary to give the opportunity to other people.

Qalanoui's explanation about Mohammad Khodabandelou not being invited

Regarding why Mohammad Khodabandelou was not invited and the conditions for selecting players in different positions, Ghalenoui said: In the national team, except for the goalkeeper, the central defender and to some extent the defensive midfielder, we have more opportunities to move in many positions, and usually we can consider two players for each position. In some positions, we have to use players in several different roles. For example, a player may be deployed as a left winger or left winger. In the position of left defense, we are really facing problems in Iranian football and we have to accept this fact. Even Persepolis has been forced to use players like Tikdari in this department. The age and technical characteristics of the players are also important in the selections and you cannot make a decision based on the name of a player.

Ghalenoui said about Khodabandelu: Mohammad Khodabandelu came to Golghar during my presence and reached very good conditions at that time. After that, he went to Persepolis. However, we have good players in the defensive midfield position and we have to consider the total conditions and needs of the team. Saeed Ezzatollahi, Mohammad Ghorbani, Arif Haji Eidi and Omid Nourafken are among the players that we can use in this post. I was also really sorry about Omid Narofaken, who was removed from the World Cup roster in the 90th minute, but in the end we had to act based on the conditions and technical decisions.

Denis Dargahhi and the need to be more compatible with the team

The head coach of the national team also said about the situation of Denis Dargahi: he is a player who has lived and played football in Europe for about 12 years. Should we assume that the clubs he has been in have all made mistakes? This is definitely not true. Technically, Dennis has not yet been able to show all his abilities. It is natural that in order to reach this stage, he should find better conditions in terms of adapting to the environment and communicating with other players and get closer to his teammates.

Regarding the reason why Ahmad Noorollahi was not invited, he also stated: I have explained about Ahmad Noorollahi many times before and it is better not to enter into that discussion again. We have good young players in this position. Omid Nourafken, Mohammad Ghorbani and Razzaqnia are among the people we can count on.

Criticism of expectations that are not proportionate to the conditions of Iranian football

Emphasizing that the expectations from the national team should be in accordance with the available facilities and conditions, Qalanoui said: Expectations should be formed based on the conditions. When the international view of Iranian football was much better, numerous camps and significant facilities were provided to the national team, and we had 14 legionnaires in European leagues. Why did some people not raise such expectations? At that time, the conditions of the players and the facilities of the national team were different. It is impossible to have the same expectations from the national team today without considering these differences. We must consider the realities of Iranian football, the status of the clubs and the conditions of the players.

Referring to the comment of one of the football managers about the responsibility of the clubs in training young players, Qalanoui said: One of the managers said that the club is not a place for youth, but a place for consumption. The meaning of this word is that the national team must find a ready player from the street and the market. My question is, if the clubs and basic teams do not produce players, where should the national team get its players from? Player production is a task that clubs and grassroots teams must play a serious role in. It is not possible to expect the national team to bear all the burden of raising and preparing players, and at the same time, we should not expect the clubs to invest in this direction.

It is not possible to bring the players to ideal conditions with 2 training sessions

Referring to the presence of Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi in the Emirates League and the effect of club competition conditions on the players' physical fitness, the head coach of Iran's national football team said: When players from prestigious European leagues go to the Emirates League, we must consider the difference in competition conditions. A player who plays football in different conditions cannot be expected to have the same preparation as before without the necessary planning.

Emphasizing the necessity of returning the players to ideal conditions, Amir Qalanoui stated: We must make the players reach optimal physical conditions again. The question is, with two training sessions, how can we bring a player who has lost physical fitness to full fitness? This requires time and planning, especially since the Asian Nations Cup is coming up and we need to prepare for it in advance.

Referring to the national team's experience in the past two important tournaments, he added: We had the opportunity to prepare in the Asian Nations Cup and the World Cup, and we were among the good teams physically. My colleagues performed well physically in both tournaments and the players were in good condition. This shows that if the technical staff has the necessary opportunities and facilities, the players can be brought to optimal conditions. For this reason, I wrote to the Football Federation and requested that we have the national team on December 20, or one day earlier. The reality is that not all expectations can be met in a short period of time. In order to successfully participate in the Nations Cup, we must plan in advance and have enough time to prepare the players.

Also referring to the examination of the physical condition of the players working in the UAE, Ghalenoui said: According to the investigations we have conducted, the players working in the UAE have lost about 25% of their physical condition compared to the conditions of the game against Egypt. Of course, the time conditions of the competitions should also be considered. Some of these games were held at the beginning of the season and the players had just been out of the World Cup. We have the necessary documents and statistics and we can explain them in detail at the right time.

Ghalenoui: I don't see any reason to change my colleagues

The head coach of the national team also said about the possibility of changing his technical staff and colleagues: Why should I change my colleagues? When my assessment is that they have done their job, I see no reason to change.

Referring to the meeting of the Football Federation's Board of Directors, he said: In that meeting, I gave my technical explanations and presented my report for about 10 minutes. But no one asked me any questions. I had provided the necessary explanations and if there were no other questions or issues, I saw no reason for the meeting to continue. Especially since a decision was supposed to be made in that meeting.

Regarding Hojjat Karimi's displeasure with the way the meeting was held, Ghalenoui said: Hojjat Karimi is one of my friends and I have a good relationship with him. I announced right there that I am available if there are any questions or comments. Why should I sit in a meeting where a decision is supposed to be made when no one is asking questions? I explained about the problems of the national team and said that anyone can lead this team to the finals or to the top four teams, God willing. I meant that one should consider the existing problems and conditions and be realistic about the goals of the national team. No one said the slightest word to me in that meeting. The interesting thing was that despite my friendship with him, Hojjat Karimi was the only one who spoke about an issue in the board. I knew it was my duty to present the technical report and I did it.

I do not mediate for Biranund; The law should be the same for everyone

The head coach of Iran's national football team, in response to the issue of mediation to resolve the issues related to the enlistment of Alireza Biranvand, said: There is no such thing. When an issue becomes a law, everyone must obey it. Whether they agree with that law or not. The law must be implemented equally for everyone, and Biranvand must also comply with the legal conditions related to military service.

Saying that he does not know the details of the goalkeeper's military status, Qalanoui added: "I don't know whether Biranvand is going to join the army or not, but if this happens, he must fulfill the legal requirements." If he is going to play in a military team, this should also be followed up according to the regulations. In any case, if he needs a special program due to military conditions, it is our duty to plan for him, considering the proximity of the Asian Nations Cup.

Referring to Biranvand's position in the national team, he said: Alireza Biranvand is one of the pillars of the national team and we must check his situation in any situation. Of course, this does not mean ignoring the technical and mental conditions of the player. During this period, he did not have the necessary concentration and this matter was influential in our technical decisions. Even in the game against Russia, I left out Biranvand. In the meeting we had, the coach of the goalkeepers of the team told me that Biranvand does not have the necessary concentration and it is better not to play. I am raising this issue now for the first time. Biranvand is a great player and we wanted to keep him for the Asian Nations Cup. Despite the issues, we tried to manage his condition. However, he was not in a good condition in the match against Uzbekistan and we decided not to use him for the match against Russia.

He emphasized: If Biranvand goes to the army, we should check his new conditions and consider a special program for him if necessary. Because the Asian Nations Cup is near. If this does not happen, he will continue to work in his club and we will monitor his condition. In any case, the important issue for us is the player's preparation and his contribution to the national team.

Qalanoi's reaction to the edges of Biranvand in the tractor

The head coach of the national team also said about Alireza Biranvand's recent scandals in the Tractor club: these issues are related to the inside of the club and I will not interfere in them. If the player has a dispute with his club about financial issues, demands or other issues, it is a matter that should be pursued in the same collection. I am not fully aware of the details of these issues and prefer not to interfere in the internal affairs of the clubs.

Qalanoui also emphasized about Biranvand's previous case: I testify to God that in that case I did not make the slightest recommendation to the disciplinary committee or any of the related committees. Such a matter is not in the scope of my duties at all. Any decision to be made must be based on law and regulations. When there is a law, it should be implemented for everyone and should not be discriminated between people because of the position of a player or his importance for the national team. Biranvand is an important player for the national team and we plan to maintain his fitness if needed, but this issue has nothing to do with law enforcement.