Mahdavikia hopes to one day coach Team Melli

TehranTimes – TEHRAN, Iranian football legend Mehdi Mahdavikia stated that he will attend coaching classes in Germany and may return to the country to help Persepolis and Team Melli.

Mahdavikia, who was a key man in Iran football team for over 10 years, is now working at the youth levels of Iranian football.

“In 1996 Asian Cup I was just 19 years old. We had a fabulous team and despite we’ve lost the first game but in the next games, we had a great performance. Unfortunately, at the end we finished third in that tournament. Without a doubt, that team was Iran’s golden generation,” Mahdavikia told in a TV program.

“In 2000, we had a good team but we had some problems inside the team, for that reason we didn’t get good results. In the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, we had the best team in over the past two decades. We would have definitely won the tournament if the Lebanese referee in the semi-final match against China was not in favor of the host,” Mahdavikia added.

Mahdavikia believes Carlos Queiroz team has done a good job in the first two games.

“Currently we have a good team in Asian Cup and fortunately they have won the first two games to book a place in the quarter-final. Queiroz’s policy is to not concede a goal first then try to score,” he added.

Former Hamburg player also stated that he is in contact with the German club in order to attend coaching classes.

“I want to start coaching at youth levels and because of that I am going to attend in the coaching classes. I hope one day I return to Persepolis or manage Team Melli. Currently, I’m focusing on youth levels to prepare a 15-man squad under 11 and take it to a European tournament,” he added.