Latest on Clemente

[gol_kuchik]

According to the latest ISNA report Clemente will announce his decision, ready for
this NEXT TUESDAY! and not Sunday as we expected.

Here's my speculation on why he has stalled, and what the intent is:

As we all know he wants to not reside in Iran. I don't think he is
willing to change this decision. He has stalled so far, to see how desparate we are.
Had we won against Syria, he would have probably walked away knowing there is less
room to bargain. With the results for all our contenders out, Clemente knows how
desparate we are: The games have started, we dont have a coach, other coaches will
probably not be willing to negotiate given what has happened to Arthur George and the
general stinginess of IFF with spending the money that belongs to TM (FIFA money)
anyways. He also can see how great the others like Australia, Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia
have done. (As we all know, teams only get better in each stage).

I think Clemente will get his wishes (most likely). As usual, IFF and Iranian government
has put us in a no win situation. We either have to accept his terms or settle for much
less desirable candidates, perhaps a domestic one.

Unfortunately, if someone like GN takes charge and qualifies us, for next round he will
not relinguish his post that easy and there will be a lot of fans who will forget GN's
obvious shortcomings at international level. This time we will not even qualify for WC,
as GN has nothing to offer (at present) when it comes to the likes of Korea, Japan or
even as we saw China, which we will have to confront if we make it to next round.

Whatever Clementes reason for not wanting to live in Iran, I think IFF must make the
contract conditional:

He should be able to not spend time in Iran and still do a reasonable job of getting us to
the 4th round. But then we can make more rigorous demand on his schedule for the
fourth round.

The biggest issue right now is, we are not clear on Clemente's responsibilities. Some
even want him to develop football in Iran?! Is that a head coaches responsibility? If not,
why should a coach be in Iran 24/7? What can't he do with occaional trips around the
country and watching IPL games on clips that he can if he was physically there.
Didn't Klinsman coach Germany while mostly living in California?

Also when Branko was the head coach, he was not even allowed to go to Africa to watch
a game between Ghana and Egypt (I think it was). That kind of restirction will not be
suitable and will not be acceptable to any internationally known good coach.

IFF plus AliAbadi have put us in this no win situation and there is really a tough task to
get a quality coach. As we say in Persian:

A crzay guy can throw a rock in a well, that a 100 wise guys can not remove.

[Doctor DOOM]

I think the main thing is the periods when he wants to leave Iran. their number, frequency and duration.

the only ppl who CAN answer this are the IFF, who shd be responsible enough to set a yearly plan for the team and its training schedules. based on this calendar the coach's "trips" can be scheduled.
But at the same time, his assistants will have to stay and carry on as per the program and schedule of training.

for example if we were the deciding ppl at IFF, as we stand, we have our next game after a month and half. in between the IPL games are going on. given the fact that he is new to our football and needs to get to know it and our players personally, and most importantly the fact that our team NEEDS to work on tactics and system and coordination, I think he SHD remain in Iran until this game.

the next set of games I beleive is in June. so between march and june , given the 2 month gap, I guess he can leave around april or so, without really hurting the team training. I guess from mid May ( IPL would have ended by then ) he shd remain until the end of the last game of first round which is around end of July ( if i"m not mistaken ).
after this I dont know what kind of a gap exists before the next phase starts, but I can assume it wouldnt be less than a month or month and half. so here's another period of 2-3 weeks he can leave to spain before resumption of the training.

and so on .... etc.


so I guess with a little understanding on the part of both parties, we can muster a do-able schedule where he still finds time to go to spain and our training doesnt suffer ( much ) ! damn you aliabadi ! )

[gol_kuchik]

Yes I agree, but that assumes a reasonable set of people would sit down and make a
reasonable set of requiements, that would make sense. From what I understand, some
in IFF, are saying the coach must not even leave the country except for his allotted
vaction time. That may have worked for less known coaches but I doubt it will work
for higher caliber ones.

[Doctor DOOM]

Indeed. the words "reason" and "IRI" somehow dont fit into one single sentence comfortably !!

[Adesor Vafaseya]

[gol_kuchik]

We are no Germany and Kilensman really didn't change his residence till almost before
WC. In fact you can argue, since Germans made such big fuss, for no real good reason,
IFF should also hammer out a reasonable deal and let Clemente take his chance with
Iran-Air

[Doctor DOOM]

But all we're doing here is speculating.
we dont know exactly what kind of schedule he has in mind.
it could be as illogical as appearing in Iran a few weeks before any TM game or tourney. or as acceptable as leaving Iran whenever TM has a lull of more than 4 weeks.

I cant expect IFF to be transparent about this either, as I am sure they themselves are in the dark as to what clemente wants.
that's why both parties ( IFF & clemente ) shd sit, set a proper schedule for the TEAM before anything else. comprising of official games, test games, training sessions and camps and if possible, tours.
once this time-table is set, only then the negotiations can begin.

clemente may want a few weeks from here and a few weeks from there. we may even be able to let him get away with absence in some training sessions and camps that are not close to any test games or official games.
this is up to IFF's negotiator and his guts to negotiate well for US ... as much as how much clemente is ready to give in.

so unless this time table is revealed and we see the full schedule for 2008, we cant decide what is acceptable, what is not.
all I hope is at least his assistants shd remain in Iran to continue their work, observation, scrutiny, ... of the players, camps, training. being used to his tactics and philosophy, they would be the next best thing to having him present.

[RaginG Inferno]

But all we're doing here is speculating.
we dont know exactly what kind of schedule he has in mind.
it could be as illogical as appearing in Iran a few weeks before any TM game or tourney. or as acceptable as leaving Iran whenever TM has a lull of more than 4 weeks.

I cant expect IFF to be transparent about this either, as I am sure they themselves are in the dark as to what clemente wants.
that's why both parties ( IFF & clemente ) shd sit, set a proper schedule for the TEAM before anything else. comprising of official games, test games, training sessions and camps and if possible, tours.
once this time-table is set, only then the negotiations can begin.

clemente may want a few weeks from here and a few weeks from there. we may even be able to let him get away with absence in some training sessions and camps that are not close to any test games or official games.
this is up to IFF's negotiator and his guts to negotiate well for US ... as much as how much clemente is ready to give in.

so unless this time table is revealed and we see the full schedule for 2008, we cant decide what is acceptable, what is not.
all I hope is at least his assistants shd remain in Iran to continue their work, observation, scrutiny, ... of the players, camps, training. being used to his tactics and philosophy, they would be the next best thing to having him present.

Great point, agha Doctor. The reality is that we cannot judge the IFF's performance without knowing what demands were made by Clemente. Until this information is divulged, any judgment is based on incomplete factual support.

[gol_kuchik]

You are absolutely right DD jan, I originally had the title as "Latest on Clemente and
some speculation" but it got dropped in cut and paste. Still on the second paragraph I
do specifically say that is my speculation, (vs the speculations that says he doesn't
want the job, or he wants a team that is much better and that is why he is dragging his
foot).

[gol_kuchik]

Since no one seems to be giving me the pad on the back , not bad speculation? hey?

[Doctor DOOM]

ok.
pat , pat , pat !

[zzgloo]

Since no one seems to be giving me the pad on the back , not bad speculation? hey?

Frankly, I speculated him not signing, and apparantly I was wrong.....
I also have another speculation , I believe, he will not last long !, and will resign before the end of his contract !...........
I hope I will be wrong again !!

[RaginG Inferno]

Nekounam seemed to positively affect his decision!

[Doctor DOOM]

parts of his interview with the spanish AS :
"Clemente confirmed he would continue to live in the Basque Country on the north coast of Spain and would travel to Iran in order to prepare for matches.
"I will live in my house on the beach in Zarautz and travel to Tehran a week or two before the games and whenever is necessary," he said.
"To be coach of Iran you don't have to live there. You can only see one match live at a time and the rest you have to study on the video and as far as I know the video works the same in Tehran and Zarautz."

first of all why only "a week or two"? that doesnt sound logical.
especially not at present when we havent had a coach for so long and the team is in dire need of leadership. are the official games treated the same as test games? meaning a week or two before OFFICIAL games is enough for him?

secondly, what is the meaning of "whenever necessary". this shd be defined. what is necessary and what is not? would a regular TM camp ( that is NOT close to any official game ) deemed as "necessary" ? what about a test game against a weak opposition , one of those crappy ones we seem to regularly have against teams like qatar, uae, kuwait, .... ? do these games fall in the category of "necessary" also?

I'm happy we got a good coach, but cant say "I'm bursting out of my skin" over this!

[zzgloo]

parts of his interview with the spanish AS :
"Clemente confirmed he would continue to live in the Basque Country on the north coast of Spain and would travel to Iran in order to prepare for matches.
"I will live in my house on the beach in Zarautz and travel to Tehran a week or two before the games and whenever is necessary," he said.
"To be coach of Iran you don't have to live there. You can only see one match live at a time and the rest you have to study on the video and as far as I know the video works the same in Tehran and Zarautz."

first of all why only "a week or two"? that doesnt sound logical.
especially not at present when we havent had a coach for so long and the team is in dire need of leadership. are the official games treated the same as test games? meaning a week or two before OFFICIAL games is enough for him?

secondly, what is the meaning of "whenever necessary". this shd be defined. what is necessary and what is not? would a regular TM camp ( that is NOT close to any official game ) deemed as "necessary" ? what about a test game against a weak opposition , one of those crappy ones we seem to regularly have against teams like qatar, uae, kuwait, .... ? do these games fall in the category of "necessary" also?

I'm happy we got a good coach, but cant say "I'm bursting out of my skin" over this!

payman jaan........................may be it is not so bad after all !!
before, I explain what I mean, I want to say, this guy, is :

" THE HIGHEST RANKED COACH WE HAVE EVER HAD ".

And, staying at home, is nothing personal, or something he is doing just because we are IRAN...
..he has done it in Serdia also,.....

there is also, the by-product, that he stayes fresher if he stays in spain, rather than Tehran's smoked, and Maafia of football, and pesky media,etc...

Beside, he has many coahces , forign and domestic who will report to him, and implement his commands....
And as he said, even when he stayes he will be watching videos.

In my opinion, he may be more objective if he stays away