Meet the coach: Afshin Ghotbi

AFC – TEHRAN, After guiding Persepolis to the 2008 Iran Pro League title the Iran FA turned to Afshin Ghotbi.

The 47-year-old, however, was unable to guide Team Melli to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa but his services were retained for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™.

Born in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, Ghotbi moved to the USA at the age of 13 and went on to be involved in collegiate football and then youth development which saw him become a scout for the US national team.

In 1998 he moved to Korea as a match analyst and after spells as an assistant coach at Suwon Samsung Bluewings and then Los Angeles Galaxy he returned to Korea to serve as an assistant to Dick Advocaat and then Pim Verbeek prior to his move to Tehran in 2007.

AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ will be Ghotbi’s last assignment as Iran coach as he has already signed up a contract with Japanese outfit Shimizu S-Pulse.

The three-time Asian champions were placed in Group D for the continental showpiece alongside defending champions Iraq, DPR Korea and the UAE.