Human Afazeli
Encyclopedia
Human Afazeli is a former Iran
ian football
player and now coach
.
Afazali’s tactical vision and practical savvy did not go unnoticed. After a friendly match between Iran national football team
and Shahab Zanjan in Tehran, Iran’s then head coach Miroslav Ciro Blazevic
, who had already guided his Croatian side to third place in the 1998 World Cup
, invited Afazeli to join the national team staff as technical adviser and analyst. After Ciro departed, Afazeli stayed with the national team for four more years with newly promoted Branko Ivankovic
He gained a gold medal in the 2002 Asian Games
, third place finish in Asian Cup 2004, a World Cup 2006 appearance with Iran, and more than 100 international matches as an assistant and analyst for the national team. He was brought back into the national team in 2008 under new coach Ali Daei
.
Afazeli stepped out alongside with some coaching staff members after Ali Daei's dismissal on April 2009. He coached the team without ex-supremo Ali Daei last time against Senegal in a friendly match 4 days after World Cup 2010 qualifier against Saudi Arabia.
After few months away from limelight, he was selected as Iran football federation technical committee member and secretary. He refused to join Ali Daei as assistant in Perspolis of Tehran and spoke of his desire to be a head coach again at club level.
Few days before 2011, he became Iran U23 head coach to help the team toward the Olympic qualification to London. He conducted and qualified the team for next round in a play off against Kyrgyzstan. Afazeli announced his resignation immediately after the second leg in Bishkek during the post-match press conference due to what he called "lack of support from Iranian Olympic Committtee and Football Federation of Iran". He was appointed as Steel Azin's head coach on 27 June 2011.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and now coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
.
Playing career
He started playing football from the age of 9 in Rah Ahan F.C. of Tehran. He then went to Pas F.C. of Tehran and played until he made his breakthrough for the senior squad. After a severe injury of his left knee in 1991, he quit playing pro football.Coaching career
He started his coaching career when he was 25. His first senior job came across when he took over 1st division outfield Shahab Zanjan. During his three years with the club, he implemented 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 systems with flat back four which was refreshing in Iran’s football dominated by traditional 3-5-2 formation. Zanjan club produced some fluid and contemporary football despite limited talent and finance.Afazali’s tactical vision and practical savvy did not go unnoticed. After a friendly match between Iran national football team
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
and Shahab Zanjan in Tehran, Iran’s then head coach Miroslav Ciro Blazevic
Miroslav Blaževic
Miroslav "Ćiro" Blažević is a Bosnian Croat football manager. He is the current head coach of Mes Kerman in Iran Pro League....
, who had already guided his Croatian side to third place in the 1998 World Cup
1998 World Cup
1998 World Cup may refer to:*1998 IAAF World Cup*1998 Men's Hockey World Cup*1998 Women's Hockey World Cup*1998 FIFA World Cup*1998 Alpine Skiing World Cup...
, invited Afazeli to join the national team staff as technical adviser and analyst. After Ciro departed, Afazeli stayed with the national team for four more years with newly promoted Branko Ivankovic
Branko Ivankovic
Branko Ivanković is a Croatian football coach and former player. After a 12-year playing career at Varteks Varaždin, Ivanković started his coaching career at the same club in 1991. He led the Iranian national football team at the 2006 World Cup...
He gained a gold medal in the 2002 Asian Games
2002 Asian Games
The 2002 Asian Games, also known as XIV Asiad is a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan is the second city, after Seoul in 1986 to host the Games. A total of 419 events in 38 sports were contested by 7,711 athletes from 44 countries...
, third place finish in Asian Cup 2004, a World Cup 2006 appearance with Iran, and more than 100 international matches as an assistant and analyst for the national team. He was brought back into the national team in 2008 under new coach Ali Daei
Ali Daei
Ali Daei is an Iranian retired football player and former national team coach who currently manages a local Iranian team, Rah Ahan. He is a former captain of the Iran national football team, and is the world's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches...
.
Afazeli stepped out alongside with some coaching staff members after Ali Daei's dismissal on April 2009. He coached the team without ex-supremo Ali Daei last time against Senegal in a friendly match 4 days after World Cup 2010 qualifier against Saudi Arabia.
After few months away from limelight, he was selected as Iran football federation technical committee member and secretary. He refused to join Ali Daei as assistant in Perspolis of Tehran and spoke of his desire to be a head coach again at club level.
Few days before 2011, he became Iran U23 head coach to help the team toward the Olympic qualification to London. He conducted and qualified the team for next round in a play off against Kyrgyzstan. Afazeli announced his resignation immediately after the second leg in Bishkek during the post-match press conference due to what he called "lack of support from Iranian Olympic Committtee and Football Federation of Iran". He was appointed as Steel Azin's head coach on 27 June 2011.