Queiroz extends Team Melli list

PFDC – TEHRAN, Iran coach Carlos Queiroz finally revealed his list of players from Sepahan, Esteghlal and Persepolis, which are in contention for the final spots in his national team roster.

Queiroz had complained about the decision of the three clubs not to allow their players to at least temporarily join the national team’s training before returning to their clubs for the Asian Champions League playoffs next week.

The Portugese had named a 19-man squad but meanwhile added two players – Omid Nazari (Ängelholms FF, SWE) and Mohammad-Reza Khanzadeh (Rah Ahan) – and had vowed to invite players from the three clubs later.

Zandi and Beikzadeh in, Mohammad Nouri out

The list only includes two players from IPL champions Sepahan, namely centreback Jalal Hosseini and fullback Hashem Beikzadeh.

Three players from Persepolis – Ali Karimi, Mehrdad Pouladi and Gholamreza Rezaei – were named. Midfielder Mohammad Nouri has been left out as well as veteran defender Mohammad Nosrati, who might have been hopeful to also get a call-up after returning to Persepolis from his long suspension.

The largest contingent comes from Esteghlal, with Mehdi Rahmati, Khosro Heydari, Andranik Teymourian, Ferydoon Zandi and Mojtaba Jabbari finding their names on Queiroz’ list.

Queiroz maths

Initially the plan had been to add eight players from the Champions League participants to the initial list of 19 and to later reduce the squad to 24 players before travelling to the training camp in Turkey on May 21.

However, Queiroz already has added Nazari and Khanzadeh and now additionally named a list of ten players, from which he will invite an undefined number to join the training camp after their Champions League games.

No date for the final decision has been announced by the Portugese.

The list will then again be cut to approximately 24 players, which will travel to Tashkent directly from Turkey on May 28.

Sepahan will host Esteghlal in the round of 16 on Tuesday, whereas Persepolis will take on Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia a day later.

The players could then join the rest of the team in Turkey on May 24, three days ahead of the friendly match against Albania in Istanbul.

Team Melli have further set a training match against Iran’s U22 team in Tehran on Saturday, May 19.

Iran will face Uzbekistan in a World Cup qualifier in Tashkent on June 3 before hosting Qatar on June 12.