Kartal will succeed at Persepolis: Engin Firat

TT – TEHRAN – Former Iran coach Engin Firat believes that Ismail Kartal is a strong choice to lead Persepolis and that he can be successful with the Iranian team.

The 63-year-old coach was appointed by Persepolis on Friday and traveled to Tehran on Saturday morning.

Kartal has signed an 18-month contract with the club. Last season, he amassed 99 points with Fenerbahçe, the highest total in a single season in the club’s history, although they fell short of winning the championship.

“Kartal has proven himself over many years in Turkey’s football and is a tactician who can withstand pressure. He is set to lead Persepolis, which is as esteemed as Fenerbahçe in Turkey. At Persepolis, winning is a must, and he has previously demonstrated that he can perform under pressure,” the former head coach of Kenya told Tehran Times in an exclusive interview.

“I believe he is capable of helping Persepolis, but the only challenge for him is that he will be working outside of Turkey for the first time. Additionally, I’m unsure about his English proficiency for communicating with the players, but given his coaching experience, he can find success at Persepolis.”

“Working at Persepolis will undoubtedly be a valuable experience for Kartal. As someone who has previously worked with the Iranian national team and local clubs, I consider Iran my second home. It is a fantastic country,” the former Saipa coach added.

“Iran’s league is very competitive, with five or six teams vying for the title each season, whereas in the Turkish Super League, we only had two teams competing for the championship last year. Therefore, Iran’s league is more competitive than the Turkish league,” he noted.

“Ismail Kartal will need to adapt to Iran’s league and culture. Every match in Iran will be challenging. I think the championship may be out of reach this season, but he can build his team for the next season,” Firat concluded.