Ghotbi candidate for Australian post, Verbeek says

MNA – TEHRAN, Dutch coach Pim Verbeek referred to Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi as a worthy successor for him in the Australian football team after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“I have worked with Ghotbi in South Korea. He understands football very well. I have no doubt that he can get good results with Iran in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. In my opinion, Ghotbi is a good candidate to take charge of Australia’s team after the 2010 World Cup,” the 54-year-old coach said.

Ghotbi was Verbeek’s assistant in the South Korea football team during the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

The current Australia coach Verbeek revealed that he will leave the team after the World Cup and the Australian FA is ready to appoint a replacement in the near future.

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph recently reported the Australian Football Association has approached Galatasaray’s Frank Rijkaard for the position of national team coach of the Socceroos.

The former Barcelona coach Rijkaard currently works with Australian internationals Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill at the Turkish side and both players have supposedly recommended the Dutch coach.