IFF president voices Iran football woes

MNA – TEHRAN, Iran Football Federation (IFF) president Ali Kaffashian claims he is concerned about the future of football in the country.

Iran failed to put an end to the 35-year title drought in the AFC Asian Cup in the competition held in Qatar in January.

“Countries like Japan and South Korea have invested heavily in football during the past years. South Korea, for instance, spends about $160 million each year. This is 20 times more than what we spend on our football,” Kaffashian said.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have quality players in Iran. According to world standards, a football player must run more than 12 kilometers during a football match. Iranian players run under 10 kilometers,” the IFF president added.

“Many Asian countries cover 65 to 70 percent of their expenses by selling broadcasting rights, but we earn just 5 percent. Of course, we are working on a solution to receive our true broadcasting rights,” Kaffashian stated.