Afshin
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« on: November 29, 2008, 11:57:57 PM » |
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Footballmedia - The headline was simple: Ghotbi resigned and flew to Dubai! Professional football’s nature is that coaches come and coaches go. Resignations and dismissals are as much a part of coaching as completion of actual contracts.
Nevertheless, Afshin Ghotbi’s resignation is as big of a news as when he had difficulty entering Iran as an assistant coach with Korea’s national team, or when he decided to take over for Perspolis, or when Perspolis became the champions of 2007-08 Iran’s Professional league, …, you get the picture.
For seventeen months, every Ghotbi’s move was under watchful eyes of millions of fans, hundreds of journalists and many supporters and detesters in Iranian football community. Many can point out that Ghotbi’s exit is similar to those of German Zobal (2004), great Turkish coach Denizli (2006) and Dutch legendary Arie Haan (2007). They all coached for Perspolis. Add to this list Koch from Esteghlal (2003), Ivich from the national team (1998) just days before the world cup, Lorant (2006) and Littbarski (2008) from Saipa and we begin to have an all star coaching lineup. The common trend seems to be that professional coaches coming to Iran last no more than a year or two.
The exceptions have been with the Balkan coaches. Somehow, they have managed to stay and prosper as Ivancovic (national team), Begovich (several IPL clubs) and Bonacic (Esteghlal of Ahvaz and Sepahan) have.
Yes in a way Ghotbi’s tenure is similar to aforementioned non-Balakan coaches but that is only a part of the story. Afshin Ghotbi’s return to the land where he was born has been a different story. Unintentionally, he symbolized all Iranians away from home who dreamed to return and contribute to the land they were born in. Many dreamed about it and Ghotbi took the chance and fulfilled the dream perhaps not completely.
Afshin’s journey to Iran started long before when he entered Tehran amongst the cheers of many well wishers. Several years earlier, when he was first interviewed on Zahab’s sport program on Farsi language California based satellite station, Ghotbi entered a path that its destination was to be the Iran’s national team coaching position. In June of 2005, when I interviewed Ghobi for his first internt/print conversation with Iranian publications, I was stunned at Ghotbi’s polite, humble and respectful manners. A Korean sports paper had called him: “An Iranian born, leaving in America, flying to Hong Kong on British Airways working for the Korean National team under a Dutch coach.”
Yet, as I spoke then to Afshin with his broken Farsi, he spoke about his dream to return to Iran and contribute. Between then and Perspolis, Afshin worked with the South Korean national team before, during and after the 2006 world cup. We talked many times during those days and each time I found Afshin’s Farsi better, his desire to work in Iran stronger and the excitement of such possibility more real as the time went by.
If one simply refers to Iranian sports papers and TV sports programs of the last 17 months, one could find an amazing amount of contradictory articles.
Some called Afshin the daring coach that brought discipline and organization to the chaotic REDs.
He was the “simple minded foreigner” who promised championship at his arrival. To the anger and frustration of some yet the pleasure of millions he and Perspolis delivered on that promise.
He was accused as the “video analyst with no coaching experience” by a few U.S. based bloggers and TV personalities who certainly “had no agenda but telling the truth.” The truth was far different and simpler than that but the accusers weren’t even willing to give his part of the credit when Perspolis won. These “seekers of the truth” wanted their version of the truth and when they Perspolis won campaigned worse to discredit Ghotbi.
A few former Perspolis greats saw the head coaching position of the Reds as their RIGHT. In their book, Ghotbi had infringed on that right and had to be defeated by all possible fair and unfair means. Papers supporting these individuals managed to falsely connect Ghotbi to the previous regime, deny he ever worked as an assistant coach in South Korea national team and generally used their pens to write whatever they could to smear and attack. Fortunately, they represented a small percentage of journalists in Iran.
Ghotbi’s seventeen months of coaching at Perspolis was not a simple story that had an easy beginning and a happy ending.
In the middle of all the hype and news and excitement, last year, fans of all ages returned to the stadiums to witness Perspolis play and win. Fans cheered their REDS and cheered Afshin’s every move.
Our football community, fans and media alike, as well as the non-footballers needed a source of inspiration, a new way of thinking and talking about the game. All were amazed that how an Iranian coach could accept defeat and congratulate the opponent without making excuses. A new coaching ethics were being introduced and most appreciated it.
Afshin Ghotbi was on top of this wave of hope and emotions. The highest point of such wave was that day in May of 2008, when in the 96th minute of the match against a superb Sepahan club, Perspolis scored the winning goal. Iranian capital’s streets witnessed a celebration last remembered after major national team victories. Many of the same reporters who were criticizing for so long and had written Ghotbi’s coaching obituaries in the 94th minute of that match were celebrating as they were mentally writing the next day’s version of “We Won” headlines. The “Emperor Afshin” slogan was born.
Ghotbi’s return to Iran for another season didn’t work according to his playbook. While a few assistants who were at his side but not with him were gone, those who wanted to see him fall were there. Along the way, Ghotbi made his share of mistakes. While his mistakes were a few, those who wanted to see him leave worked hard to ensure his departure. Perspolis’s championship with Ghotbi in his first year was an amazing story that put Afshin in Perspolis and Iran’s football memories. However, a Perspolis repeat would have been simply too much with Ghotbi as the head coach.
Kings are to be overthrown, Soltans are to be ridiculed and Ghobi knew that as Iran’s history had thought him well, Emperors are meant to enjoy short rides but ultimately they would be removed from power.
The other day, Perspolis current head coach and former assistant of Ghotbi, Payrovani, dedicated a victory to Afshin. This was indeed a nice gesture.
In Dubai, Afshin is silent on what happened and why he resigned from the popular Perspolis club. He however owes it to millions of football fans to open up when his time is right
His journey to coach in Iran has taken a detour but in his short time with Perspolis, Afshin Ghotbi left behind an amazing mark of achievement. Through how he was treated and how he conducted himself, we got to know our football players, personalities and media, both inside and outside of Iran, a bit better. We will hear his side of the story in not too distant of the future.
This is an unfinished journey and I have a feeling that we have not seen the end of Afshin’s days in Iranian football.
By Kaveh Mahjoob
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