Persepolis Football Club sacked Ali Daei on Wednesday, September 10, announcing that Hamid Derakhshan had been appointed as the team’s new manager. In a move that shocked Iran’s football community, the club did not notifiy Daei of his dismissal, choosing simply to publish the news on its official website.
A media frenzy ensued, with all of Iran’s major news sites reporting on the controversy. An infuriated Daei responded by appearing at the team’s practice at Derafshi Far Stadium as normal, only to find the club’s president, Hamidreza Siyasi, introducing Derakshan to the team. The decision led to protests from fans, and Daei and some of his supporters broke down in tears.
Daei, a former Persepolis player himself, is one of Iran’s greatest football heroes. He was previously sacked from hosting the national team in 2009 after it lost to Saudi Arabia in a World Cup qualifier. Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who witnessed the match, was said to have been partly responsible for his dismissal. Alireza Rahimi, the club’s chief executive, was also dismissed.
Source:
Fars and Isna news agency
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