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Road to World Cup 26 - ep11 - Iran
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Join your hosts Nick Britten Ken Davies as we take the deepest of deep dives into everything related to the FIFA World Cup 2026 held in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
All the news, analysis and comment from every team, every qualification process and of course the tournament itself. The biggest festival of soccer in the world.
This week we dive into Iran – the players, coach, formation, the lot. Plus your World Cup news, sending a monkey into space and Kenny’s Quiz.
Your weekly guide to the pinnacle of world soccer brought to you by Global Sports Podcast Network
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This week we focus on the hosts USA and the USMNT - the history, the squad, the manager and how it's all going for Mauricio Pochettino's team. Plus the weeekly Kenny's Quiz and plenty more besides.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Hosts' Banter
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, hey, bonjour, hola, ni hao, privet, g'day, and today, salam, you're listening to the Road to the World Cup 26 podcast, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network, and the only place, the only place, to find regular soccer content on the top English Premier League teams, women's football, and you know this because you're listening to it, the World Cup 2026 podcast.
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm your host, Nick Britton, and as always, I am joined by my esteemed colleague. Yes, it's Ken the Beaver Davies.
00:00:40
Ken Davies
Hello, everybody.
00:00:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:00:42
Ken Davies
Bonjour. I hope everyone's having a wonderful time. Isn't it wonderful, glorious weather in England? We should point that out because happened so irregularly. But we're actually...
00:00:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's the...
00:00:50
Ken Davies
It's a heatwave.
00:00:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's been a heatwave for about a month. it's the hottest It's the hottest place in the world right now, ah even hotter than the equator. Or at least it feels like it's us Englishmen who aren't used to any this. It's really nice. It is really, really nice.
00:01:02
Ken Davies
Cheers to global warming, everyone.
World Cup News and Updates
00:01:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
here Anyway, if you want to know why Ken's new nickname is the beaver, you will need to listen to our Canada episode of a few weeks ago. I can tell you it's not because he is a semi-aquatic rodent who could gnaw through a log in a matter of seconds.
00:01:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah There is a reason why.
00:01:21
Ken Davies
Never tried it, Nick. I've never tried it.
00:01:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I'll take your word for that. i do so Although i do I must say, i did look at the description of a beaver cat. And the description of beaver is...
00:01:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
is
00:01:31
Ken Davies
All right, not safe at work.
00:01:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
like like yeah They have a stout body with large heads, yeah long chisel-like incisors, brown or grey fur,
00:01:39
Ken Davies
Oh, yeah. Ticking both of those boxes. I'm not sure about that.
00:01:48
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:01:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hand-like front feet, so you've got because they've got their hands, and particularly webbed back feet.
00:01:51
Ken Davies
Yeah, yeah.
00:01:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I reckon, oh, and their tails are flat and scaly. So I reckon you tick at least three of those boxes, at least. So I think it's a perfectly yeah but thats pretty good name.
00:02:01
Ken Davies
You haven't seen my tail, mate. You haven't seen my tail. There you go.
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are continuing our deep dive into teams who have qualified for the World Cup already. And today it is Iran. iran
00:02:19
Ken Davies
There's sci-fi about this.
00:02:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
What do reckon, Ken?
00:02:37
Ken Davies
I've heard worse than national anthems. I've heard worse.
00:02:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
as well, actually. Yeah, I quite like that. i was quite getting into that when I heard the longer version of it.
00:02:43
Ken Davies
It was it was quite was quite sentimental, I think is the word that came across to me.
00:02:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:47
Ken Davies
But it was the only one I've heard played on stylophone.
00:02:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, well it's the it's a new national anthem, actually.
00:02:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's it's Well, I say new. It's so fairly modern. it so It's only in the last 30, 40 years. i've had They've had other national anthems going back down the years.
00:02:53
Ken Davies
who
00:03:02
Ken Davies
Right.
00:03:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And...
00:03:03
Ken Davies
I was supposed to have the Islamic Revolution, didn't they, four years ago?
00:03:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, is it, and this and this and this very much this very much reflects that.
00:03:05
Ken Davies
It was crazy.
00:03:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
and There is another one which was sort of popularised for a year or so, which other people sing if they don't believe in the kind of government reforms of the last few years.
00:03:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there's a kind of dual national anthem battle going on.
00:03:18
Ken Davies
Ooh.
00:03:21
Ken Davies
Every day's a school day, Nick.
00:03:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
and may other we So what are we doing today? Well, we'll be having a look, as always, at a bit of World Cup news for you. Ken will have the history of Iran. I'll be looking at five key players, as we always do.
00:03:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
and We've got a bit of a bonus player here because we've got to focus on Ali Dai, who's the most famous Iranian football player ever. And everybody in the world who knows anything about football will have heard of him.
00:03:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
We have, of course, got the return of Kenny's quiz. Kenny was sort of... wo um In the League of One, mate, you're still in the relegation zone. We'll have a look at the Iranian manager. And of course, Ken and I will predict how we think Iran will get on in next year's World Cup.
Ticketing and Hosting Controversies
00:04:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Let's kick off, though, with your weekly World Cup news.
00:04:13
Ken Davies
Shuffle and papers, Shuffle and papers.
00:04:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
As long as any of the papers you're shuffling, Ken, I can live with that. Okay.
00:04:21
Ken Davies
I hope people can see the bottom of my screen there.
00:04:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
couple of bits.
00:04:23
Ken Davies
I'm just saying.
00:04:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, a couple of bits and bobs of World Cup news this week. The on-off Willy Wonty tango of Carlo Ancelotti in Brazil has ended with the Real Madrid coach packing up the Bernabeu and heading for the beaches of the Copacabana.
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Well, sort of, Ken. Sort of, it's actually his part of the deal. He's going to live in Europe. um And what he did, and that did seem to be a bit of a key negotiation sticking point, and but that's what he's going to do.
00:04:43
Ken Davies
Well, we predicted this, didn't we?
00:04:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And look, the reality is this, mate. The reality is this. Ancelotti is a brilliant coach and he knows European football like the back of his hand. He's won five titles in Europe. um And Brazil, as we know, and we've talked about it recently, ah they've struggled um in the World Cup qualifying campaign this year.
00:05:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've traditionally, in world competitions, struggled against European sides. And indeed, every campaign since 2002 has ended as soon as they've come up against a good European side in a knockout phase.
00:05:19
Ken Davies
I can see the tension.
00:05:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
So if you put two and two together, you can see the logic here, can't you?
00:05:23
Ken Davies
There's plenty logic.
00:05:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
You can see they're so desperate why they wanted to get Angelotti.
00:05:26
Ken Davies
Can just pick you up on a point there, though? ah I think it's important to raise.
00:05:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Of course.
00:05:33
Ken Davies
He knows European football like the back of his hand. ah Would you recognise the back of your hand? If someone had a picture of the back of my hand and said, pick from these 10 backs of hands your own, i don't think I'd do it.
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:05:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I would if it was next to yours, because yours is like furry and scaly like a beaver, as we've already discussed. and you've got And you've got webbed hands. So I think if put the two of us together.
00:05:54
Ken Davies
ah
00:05:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, i'd recommend I think I probably would, actually. Yeah, I think I would.
00:05:58
Ken Davies
Or am I missing point there, by the way, of what you've just made?
00:06:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think you're probably missing the point. but But it's a good test, actually.
00:06:04
Ken Davies
Right.
00:06:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'd recommend everybody looks at the back of their hands.
00:06:07
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:06:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
and actually gets to know them quite well.
00:06:10
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:06:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because then you can actually legitimately say, I know this ah know my hand like the back of my hand.
00:06:16
Ken Davies
Yeah. Brilliant. Sorry. Carry on.
00:06:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
So um anyway, anyway it is it remains a very contentious, it remains a contentious appointment, not just because he's going to stay in Europe, but because he's not
Offside Rule Debate and Listener Feedback
00:06:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brazilian. And as we've discussed before, he's got to get off to a good start, otherwise it's not going to end well.
00:06:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think he probably will.
00:06:32
Ken Davies
I've got a feeling it will end well.
00:06:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
i Listen, I think it's a brilliant appointment. I think it's an absolutely...
00:06:36
Ken Davies
Do you think it increases or improves the chances that Brazil have the World Cup, have an Ancelotti there? Yeah. Right.
00:06:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Massively.
00:06:42
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:06:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, massively.
00:06:43
Ken Davies
yeah
00:06:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
um and I mean, I would have put them from... you um we haven't We haven't really done a focus on Brazil yet, but I would have put them as kind of round of 16. This elevates them right up. Really does, I think.
00:06:53
Ken Davies
right
00:06:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I want to see how they play. ah They'll have games, obviously, coming up, qualifiers coming up in June, and I'll be keeping a very close eye on them. ah The first ticketing packages have gone on sale for next summer's so World Cup, which is great. They've gone sale last week.
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Only released high-end hospitality options. So if you've got spare $73,200 or £54,000 that equates to, you can go and get some hospitality tickets, mate.
00:07:18
Ken Davies
We're getting press passes anyway, Nick. It doesn't matter.
00:07:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, we'll try. the dost start Hospitality starts at $3,500, which is £2,625. Obviously, regular tickets will go on sale later on this year. And finally, in your World Cup news this week, and here's an interesting one for you and I, Ken.
00:07:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
The FIFA men's World Cup... act Deputy, what's he called? Vice President is what he's called. ah Victor Montagliani has urged the UK to host the World Cup, saying that it's about time.
00:07:46
Ken Davies
Ooh.
00:07:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
He says, I can't see why not just England, but the United Kingdom shouldn't be hosting the World Cup. It would be a fantastic World Cup and they should think very seriously about putting their foot forward to host the next one.
00:07:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
He did have a bit of a go, by the way, at FIFA's selection process for Russia and Qatar, which, you know...
00:08:05
Ken Davies
Really?
00:08:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And and its ah no yeah andnnaly
00:08:08
Ken Davies
Well, that's controversial.
00:08:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
and alluded to the fact that we need to go back to some sort old fashioned decision making here and and what have you.
00:08:17
Ken Davies
Yeah, smoke-filled rooms, sandwiches.
00:08:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:08:20
Ken Davies
It's about time we had one in South America.
00:08:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:08:23
Ken Davies
That's about kind of it, isn't it?
00:08:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Don't forget. to yeah yeah, exactly. But he also said, look, we all know what the game means to the UK, as we do. And I think it's time. So the the UK and Republic of Ireland are going to host the Euros in the European Championships, that is, in 2028 anyway.
00:08:35
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:08:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
So be good dress rehearsal.
00:08:39
Ken Davies
For to what, you reckon, 2034?
00:08:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And well, that m maybe 34 or 38. More than 38, I think, we would be more realistic.
00:08:49
Ken Davies
I'll be dead. I'll be watching
00:08:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah p Yeah. um But they've got it. I mean, look, we all remember the Euro won when Wembley in London hosted the Euro in 2020, Euro final. It was absolute carnage.
00:09:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Thousands of people getting in without tickets and forcing their way in. It was chaos. That was not a good look at all. But, you know, that was a one-off. We all remember, Ken, and you'll remember this, when England last hosted the Euros properly in 1996.
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was brilliant.
00:09:15
Ken Davies
Oh. Glorious.
00:09:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was brilliant. And let's face it, in those days, that was kind of there was a lot hooliganism still knocking around football generally across to Europe. It wasn't in a great place. And it was a brilliant competition.
00:09:25
Ken Davies
It was a festival of football.
00:09:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was. So I'll be looking forward to so World Cup football we' coming to Pride Park, obviously. like And that'd be great. I think we should. I think we should. ah Finally, before we move on, but a couple of bits correspondence.
00:09:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Thanks to Tyler in Kansas. Thank you for forget dropping us a note on the U.S. s men's national team following our recent deep dive into USA. And he's and and we looked at Mexico as well last week.
00:09:51
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:09:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's got in touch to say that we are entirely wrong.
00:09:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
if we think that Mexico will get further in the competition than the USA. ah They're both hosts, of course. He says Pochettino will get it right, and he expects the USA to get to the semis at least. Now, again, like bit of American optimism, but frankly, I'll have a pint of what he's having, if he thinks they're going to get the semifinals at least.
00:09:53
Ken Davies
Oh.
00:10:04
Ken Davies
enough, Tyler.
00:10:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, good man. Thank you for
Iran's Football History and Challenges
00:10:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
that, Tyler. And Matt from Nottingham has been back in touch now.
00:10:17
Ken Davies
Oh, Matt. I remember Matt. he he's kind of he's ah He's on a bit of a isn't he?
00:10:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
What do you think?
00:10:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, he is. Well, if you remember, was very angry the last time when we'd covered UEFA and we talked about England's current set-up. He was very angry that we'd snubbed Premier League Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs White when discussing in England.
00:10:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Well, he's even more angry now, but this time he's got reason to be angry because he's raised a really, really important issue. And it's been a big story here in England this week, actually. um And this is because last last week... The Nigeria striker, Taiwo Awani, suffered a very serious injury when he collided with a post.
00:10:51
Ken Davies
dreadful
00:10:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
And look, I don't know, what i'll be I'll be interested to hear listeners throughout the world what your guidance is for your referees and your assistant referees here. But in the UK, there is guidance whereby if somebody is offside,
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
the The assistant or or linesman or lino, as we call them ah here, um doesn't put the flag up until a phase of play is completed in case they're wrong and, you know, a goal is scored and they've got VAR now and VAR will just sort of pick it up and re-referee the whole thing for them anyway.
00:11:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And we had a situation last week in the Premier League where Forrest, who were playing Leicester, and ah the ball was played through to Anthony Alanga, who was, frankly, miles offside. I mean, he was yeah three yards offside, four yards offside.
00:11:34
Ken Davies
Different country, wasn't it?
00:11:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he was. He was almost in Derby, mate. And anyway, he carried the Lions assistant referee, who was Sian Massey, who was a very well-respected, ah very well-respected Lions person, Lions man. I keep calling Lions man, they're not. Assistant referee, ah particularly if she's a woman.
00:11:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Assistant referee, very well-respected.
00:11:51
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:11:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, kept her flag down, as she's been told to do.
00:11:56
Ken Davies
Is that me?
00:11:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Play continued and Alanga crossed it and Taiwo Awani slid into the back post and collided with the post to such an ah an extent that the post thought were going to come out ground.
00:11:58
Ken Davies
Following the rules?
00:12:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
The whole goal shuddered. Anyway, anyway. Subsequently, and i there's there's a bit of a story to this, but anyway, subsequently, he got taken to hospital and had to go emergency surgery and was placed in an induced coma for a very serious abdominal injury, even though he carried on for the last few minutes of the game, very controversially.
00:12:11
Ken Davies
Mm-hmm.
00:12:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But that's another story. um And it's brought into focus this whole rule about if somebody is blatantly offside, why on earth are referees and ah assistant referees being directed by the governing body, so the FA or UEFA, whoever it is who's directed, the Premier League, whoever's directing them here, be the FA actually, to keep their flags down because they're risking injury.
00:12:54
Ken Davies
Crazy.
00:12:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
This happened last season in the Manchester City goalkeeper.
00:12:57
Ken Davies
People have been predicting this for a long time. I mean, sooner or later, someone's going to break their leg absolutely unnecessarily.
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, the Manchester goalkeeper got injured.
00:13:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so so yeah they've got to sort this out. They've got to sort this out. We can understand if it's dead tight and a goal is scored. I get that. But if somebody is blatantly offside, you've got there's no no value whatsoever.
00:13:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
in keeping your flag down. And actually, what I'd like to see, I'd like to see a player who's blatantly standing offside and receives ball and knows they're offside, literally just put their foot on it, turn around and stare at the linesman until they put the flag up.
00:13:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because it is just, it is utterly ridiculous. So Matt from Nottingham is very upset about this. ah As he's, he' well, he's very upset about most things, isn't he?
00:13:37
Ken Davies
It's just generally, mean, he's going through bad time, clearly, isn't he?
00:13:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
He seems, yeah, he's not happy. Yeah, he's,
00:13:40
Ken Davies
Got out on wrong side of bed.
00:13:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think so. i think so. I think he's just permanently of the wrong side of it. but he's But he's raised a very important point here. And, you know, Taiwo, we want Taiwo to be playing for Nigeria.
00:13:47
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
He won't be, obviously, now in in the current qualifiers.
00:13:50
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:13:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nigeria are having a sticky time in qualifying and they need all the help they can get, quite frankly.
00:13:58
Ken Davies
Mm-hmm.
00:13:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that's correspondence for this week. Right. Do get in touch with us, obviously. Instagram at RoadToWorldCup26 or do drop us an email at RoadToWorldCup26 at gmail.com. and we'd love to hear from you. Right, Ken, what can you tell us about the history of Iranian football?
00:14:15
Ken Davies
Well, i was I entered this process of research with a little bit of trepidation. I thought, well, you know, what is there to learn about Iran? But you know what? This has been one of the most enjoyable deep dives so far.
00:14:31
Ken Davies
So it's fascinating. And theyre quite a team, Iran. And we'll come to that towards the end of this little piece. But let's just go back to basics. They represent, obviously, AFC. So that's the Asian Football Confederation. They've qualified seven times for the World Cup. Seven times. 78, 98, 2006, 14, 18, 22. And obviously this one, which they qualified for. One of the first teams to be qualified ah for this World Cup, which is says something in itself.
00:15:02
Ken Davies
They have never, until this season or this and edition of the World Cup, progressed beyond the group stages. And we'll come to whether we'll we think they'll do that this year or next year.
00:15:15
Ken Davies
They've won three matches. And is question for you here, Nick. They've won three matches in their time playing in World Cup finals. They beat the USA 2-1 in 1998. They beat Morocco in Yeah. Yeah.
00:15:32
Ken Davies
who did they beat cheill in twenty twenty two nick
00:15:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, 2022.
00:15:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Well, I know they didn't beat Spain because lost to Spain in the group stages. i'm going to come to that in a moment. ah They didn't get out of group stages. So who's in their group? in the group.
00:15:39
Ken Davies
yeah
00:15:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Well, if they're in a group of Spain and Iran, it's going to be somebody else.
00:15:57
Ken Davies
Yeah, you're warm. Yeah, you're warm. It is a team. Yeah, it is a team. It's not it's not a colour.
00:16:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. So I get half a point for that. this is this is This is kind of where you start coming in with, well, do I get half a point for being nearly right?
00:16:10
Ken Davies
You don't get half a point for saying they're playing a team.
00:16:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:16:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I should know this, to be fair. I should know this, but I don't. ah so i'm going to So I'm going to have a guess.
00:16:17
Ken Davies
Okay.
00:16:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going to take a wild stab that if they're playing Spain, and ah is's going to be um it's going to be ah ah Peru.
00:16:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, they didn't qualify.
00:16:29
Ken Davies
Peru.
00:16:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uruguay.
00:16:32
Ken Davies
That's hard.
00:16:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Somebody from South America.
00:16:34
Ken Davies
Probably South America. Uruguay. Peru.
00:16:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, something like that.
00:16:38
Ken Davies
Tierra del Fuego. Who do you fancy? Okay.
00:16:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. Chile. They didn't qualify. I don't know.
00:16:44
Ken Davies
No, it wasn't anyone from South America.
00:16:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't know.
00:16:46
Ken Davies
It was Wales.
00:16:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
it was Wales, wasn't it? Yeah. I think it was Wales.
00:16:49
Ken Davies
Yeah, it was Wales. It was Wales.
00:16:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. That came to me at the end, actually.
00:16:51
Ken Davies
Unfortunately, you came up with the idea of Wales about five seconds after told you it was Wales.
00:16:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, remember.
00:16:56
Ken Davies
So that doesn't qualify for any 0.2 or 2. So they there you go. They've won three times. thought
00:17:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
To be fair, be beating Wales shouldn't qualify for any points either because it should should be taken as a given.
00:17:04
Ken Davies
I beg your pardon. I beg your pardon. Right. so So they beat well. So they won three times. There was a gap of their qualification.
00:17:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:17:14
Ken Davies
You may have noticed it when it went through the years from 78 to 1998 when they didn't qualify. ah There was the small matter of the Iran-Iraq war taking place between 1980 and 1988.
00:17:27
Ken Davies
It kind of decimated football in Iran. There was no real professional teams. All ah all ah all the players got sent off to... to fight the war. So it took 20 years really for Iranian football to recover from that. But prior to that, they'd been extremely successful team. And post that, they'd been an extremely successful team.
00:17:49
Ken Davies
They're currently ranked in the world. And 18th in the world. ah and
00:17:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
that That's higher than I would have thought.
00:17:56
Ken Davies
eighteenth in the world
00:17:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah so lot That's a lot higher than I would have thought.
00:17:58
Ken Davies
Well, we're going to come to why they're 18th in the world in in a moment. that And they've had an astonishing kind of up and down scenario over there the last 30 years. So in 1996, they were 122nd in 1996. By 2004, eight years later, were ninety ninety by two thousand and four eight years later they eighteen That's absolutely astonishing, astonishing rise.
00:18:21
Ken Davies
They then fell back in 2011, by 2011 to 65th. And then Carlos Kiros, the manager, took over.
00:18:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
The old ex-Man U assistant manager to Alex Ferguson.
00:18:31
Ken Davies
That's my new system manager, excellent manager.
00:18:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:36
Ken Davies
He started to bring in to the Iranian team all this Iranian diapora that it's that diaspora, diaspora,
00:18:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I thought you he's going to just brought a load of Man U players.
00:18:47
Ken Davies
No, no, no. It actually rose in the ranks after that. So clearly it isn't going have any Man U players involved. a so no So before that, the Iranian diaspora, and I want everyone to go and use the word diaspora during the course this week,
00:19:01
Ken Davies
um from Germany, from Sweden, from Holland, they were brought into the fold in a way that they hadn't really been before. A lot of people, course, left Iran after the Islamic Revolution, ah but they all came back.
00:19:15
Ken Davies
And that culminated in a rise from essentially 2011 now, where they've gone from 65th to 18th. they are and they are um An extraordinarily successful team. And I'll talk you through just how successful they've been.
00:19:30
Ken Davies
Big rivalry. Surprise, surprise. Iraq. I would love to go to an Iran-Iraq football match. I mean, all better off. I mean, Carly.
00:19:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah you shall be Are you sure? Are you sure you'd want to do that
00:19:41
Ken Davies
Imagine. i You know what, by the way? complete Random idea, by the way. Completely different podcast. Imagine you' doing a rivalries podcast.
00:19:53
Ken Davies
Makes no sense.
00:19:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
that? Well, we've already got the British Virgin Islands versus the US s Virgin Islands, which we covered in a previous podcast.
00:19:57
Ken Davies
you know Yeah, that's a vicious one. But Iran-Iraq, I think, probably eclipses the the the two Virgin Islands going at each other. So the big rivals with Iraq, obviously that goes back to the war.
00:20:09
Ken Davies
Now, I want to take you through the form of Iraq. Okay, now let's go back to the last World Cup. Obviously, they were eliminatation mlm eliminated from the last World Cup.
00:20:23
Ken Davies
Now, since the last World Cup, they've played 31 games in the Asian Gold Cup and all these different things. How many have they lost?
00:20:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, on the basis they're ranked 18, not many, i would have thought.
00:20:38
Ken Davies
How many is not many?
00:20:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
One.
00:20:41
Ken Davies
One. They've played 31 games and lost one. You probably won.
00:20:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I got it right. Thank you very much. You glossed over that. You take it out of me when I get it wrong. But you suddenly glossed out of that when I got that right. Thank you very much indeed.
00:20:54
Ken Davies
on tro ah so So, yeah, they've lost one. They've won 24 and then 31. So, it just it's just win after win after win or draw, win, win, win or draw.
00:21:08
Ken Davies
So, they've... Of the last 12, they've won nine and drawn three, lost none, con see scored 26, conceded nine.
00:21:19
Ken Davies
um Now, we've got to say at this point, the competition generally isn't the strongest. They tend to be playing, you know, in Asia, it can be a very mixed quality of of opposition.
00:21:31
Ken Davies
That's fine. But they've beaten Japan in that time. They've beaten
00:21:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, yeah. The the other the other thing is they can't, because of sanctions by loads of countries, they can't actually get top flight or position.
00:21:41
Ken Davies
Yeah. Yeah. This is true.
00:21:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
but nobody But normally in FIFA rankings, you've got a you've got to play top flight or better teams in order to get more points. If you play loads of rubbish teams, you don't get many points.
00:21:51
Ken Davies
They play, true, but they just keep rolling them over and they just keep adding point after point after point after point in the rankings.
00:21:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:21:58
Ken Davies
and and up
00:21:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
so
00:22:00
Ken Davies
But BG Pan was a new fan.
00:22:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do they play every week? they play every week?
00:22:02
Ken Davies
Huh?
00:22:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do they play a game every week and just amass loads of points?
00:22:05
Ken Davies
What's the... Yeah, well, that's a good strategy. But they yeah they drew against Russia. That's a way. So, hey, they've had some decent results, but difficult to judge exactly the quality simply because they are playing an awful lot of Uzbekistans and the odd, you know, kind of North Korea and...
00:22:26
Ken Davies
Those kind of teams. But, hey, any team that's gone 31 games, won 24 of them, conceded one, you've got to take pretty seriously. So that's your rant. That's a bit of history. That's a bit of ranking. That's a bit of form.
00:22:39
Ken Davies
And 18th in the world. And I'm going to be really interested see how they get on.
00:22:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, ah that's a really good, that's that's brilliant, Ken. Thanks for that. Because that all of what you've just said is quite a surprise to me. um I think that that a lot of people listening to this will probably not appreciate that they'll be ah they'll be better, perhaps, than than than people think.
00:23:00
Ken Davies
No, there's no... Obviously, we're doing the teams that have qualified first, first, in terms of this podcast series. And, you it's no accident that we're doing Iran first. They've got the best form in the world.
00:23:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and if you think back to if you think back to the World Cup, then obviously they beat Wales, as we've discussed. They lost to Spain 1-0, which is no disgrace. So yeah, interesting.
00:23:21
Ken Davies
I think they drew this the third game.
00:23:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
So they've done well. They didn't get out of group stage, though. In fact, they've never got out of the group stage of the World Cup.
00:23:26
Ken Davies
No, they never have.
00:23:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that's going to be their primary goal coming up next year. ah let's Let's then have a very quick look at five key players, then, shall we?
00:23:36
Ken Davies
Before you do that, Nick, just if I may, because we're 23 minutes into this. When we started this, I said, you know, we're never getting 30 minutes out of Iran. We're going to be here an hour. But I better say, obviously, this podcast is part of Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:23:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:23:49
Ken Davies
As Nick mentioned earlier, the only network bringing you exclusive daily news about your favourite football team. And here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform.
00:24:00
Ken Davies
And Zencastr came out to clear a winner. 4K video recording from your phone, AI editing that automatically removes any ums and nos, any mistakes that we never make. And it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. So if you've got a story you want to tell, as long as it's legal, check out the link in the show notes, learn more about Zencastr.
00:24:24
Ken Davies
Nick, over to you.
00:24:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that, yeah, if it's a slightly elongated podcast this week, you can blame Angry Matt, can't you you can blame Angry Matt for doing Because he's for for his continual, as you quite rightly put it, getting out of bed the wrong way.
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, if you don't know what getting of bed wrong way...
00:24:37
Ken Davies
He needs to get of the bed the wrong side podcast on his own, doesn't
00:24:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't... Yeah. I don't think he ever actually gets into bed. think just jumps in, immediately gets out of bed the wrong side. And just repeats that process.
00:24:48
Ken Davies
hungry Angry, angry man.
00:24:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Do you think getting out of bed the wrong side is one of those phrases that only we know in England? Is it a well-known universal? but is it Because I know you're obsessed with phraseology that is just kind of this...
00:24:58
Ken Davies
Yeah, and maybe, maybe.
00:24:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right,
00:25:00
Ken Davies
I remember my head used to be up against the wall. It was quite hard to get out of the wrong side.
00:25:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
right let's have a look at ah some of these Iranian players. I picked her out... That's quite good for you, to be fair. I picked out five key players.
00:25:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, here we go. Okay. First one, player number one is Mehdi Taremi, who's a striker. He's got a great record, actually, at international level. 54 goals in 92 games.
00:25:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's good.
00:25:29
Ken Davies
Whoa. Yeah. Remember the opposition then, Nick.
00:25:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's good. and as we as yeah
00:25:32
Ken Davies
Remember the opposition. and remember the ah
00:25:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, as you've just I was going to say, as you've just said. ah Domestically, plays for Inter Milan. and He's not had a great season with Inter, ah but he's ah he's a big he's a big figure in the Iranian set-up, ah top scorer.
00:25:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's a vital leader on and off the pitch. He's in good form. him He scored a couple of goals in their recent to draw against Uzbekistan, which secured their World Cup qualification spot. So he's continued to deliver. he needs to get himself fit, and he's probably going to but leave into this year after a bit of difficult year. So if you can have a good season next season, you'll come into the World Cup on good form.
00:26:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Player number two is Sadar Azmun, who's another striker. He played for Bayer Leverkusen and Roma. And somewhat surprisingly, Because he seemed to be on you know easily good enough to play for that. He moved to the Persian Gulf Pro League last year with Dubai's Al-Ali.
00:26:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the reason that was given for that, reportedly, was he wanted to be closer to his stable of horses.
00:26:31
Ken Davies
Right. He's just looking for a stable relationship.
00:26:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, very good.
00:26:35
Ken Davies
Right. Thank you.
00:26:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. gotta to get I've got to get that tumbleweed sound soundtrack. Got to get that for next week because need it. I need it at least three times every podcast. I keep forgetting. and So they're his priorities anyway.
00:26:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he's a long time in in the Iranian national team. He's the long time strike partner for Mehdi Tarimi. So the Tourism to the Women.
00:26:54
Ken Davies
I don't think if he's looking to be there to be close to his racehorses, I don't think he's going to be there for long. For long.
00:27:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, you didn't have to explain it. We got it. You can put your pipe away as well. It wasn't that good.
00:27:07
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:27:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
It wasn't that good. But good good effort, mate. And I'm looking for some more horse racing jokes in the next sentence before I finish this guy.
00:27:12
Ken Davies
thank you
00:27:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Both of these strikers, it's worth noting, have been linked to the Premier League clubs in the past, in the recent past, including Manchester United and even Arsenal. But then again, you know you and I will probably improve Manchester United, so i don't know how much of a bonus that is.
00:27:30
Ken Davies
Well, the thing is, Nick, they they are they're playing a 4-2-3-1.
00:27:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... to
00:27:33
Ken Davies
So, there's only for those two strikers, they're both going to be jockeying for position.
00:27:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
hey Very good. Three horse-related gags in the space of a minute.
00:27:41
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:27:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well done. Let's move on. Saman Goros. Now, he's a Swedish-Iranian. ah He's well-known here in the UK because he's played for Brentford for quite a long time. 78 games, five goals for Brentford.
00:27:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Again, a very good player. He's a Swedish-Iranian who played for Sweden and, in fact, played for the Swedish National Time a couple of times before switching allegiance to Iran in 2017. Obviously, both those games he played for Sweden were were friendly, so he's allowed to do that. They weren't competitive games.
00:28:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Again, he's a very, very good player. He's now at Al Atihad in the UAE Pro League. Feels a bit of step down for him after his spell at Brentford, but can play anywhere along the front line. So he's one to look look out for.
00:28:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Next, we are moving on to Neymar.
00:28:31
Ken Davies
Who? Clang?
00:28:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not the real Neymar, obviously, but the man who's nicknamed the Neymar of Asia, and that's Mehdi Gaidi.
00:28:35
Ken Davies
Oh, right.
00:28:41
Ken Davies
All right.
00:28:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's an attacking player. There's a theme here, and there's and I'll tell you why there's a theme here in just a moment. Because I've mentioned four players and they're all attackers so far. ah That's because they can't really defend that well. and And they put a lot of focus on their attacking play.
00:28:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'll come to that in just a moment. um He can play anywhere. He can play along the front line. play on the wing. He plays again. Another one who plays in the UAE Pro League for Calder. He's known for his agility, his speed, and his flair.
00:29:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And no doubt his social media. He's only five foot five
00:29:10
Ken Davies
You have a good
00:29:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, this is it. if Five foot five, he plays on the left, expect to see him cutting in because he's right footed. ah He's very much the glamour kid of the Iranian team. Very much the glamour kid. Very much their creative spark.
00:29:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
27 caps, scored nine goals. That's one in three. Pretty good. Somebody who's not an out-and-out striker. He nearly moved to Celtic in 2022. Celtic bid three and a half million quid for him, but that was turned down.
00:29:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
and The main thing going for him, I think, in this team particularly, is that he's 26 years old. One of the issues Iran have got is that They're quite an old side. The average age is 30 plus, 31 plus.
00:29:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
so And of course, the World Cup's not for another year.
00:29:47
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:29:49
Ken Davies
yeah
00:29:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there's got to be, and I'm going to come to this in a bit, there's got to be some blending of youth. The final player I want to mention is Milad Mohamedy. He's, again, 31. Yeah, Godos, 31. This is the age of these players.
00:30:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's a left back and he's he' played at Ghent in Belgium. He's played for AEK Athens in in Greece. So a couple of well-known teams there. He's currently playing at Persepolis, who are not a well-known team.
00:30:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But 69 caps, loads of experience. Okay, loads of experience. But he came to prominence in the World Cup in Russia. And anybody who hasn't seen this, it's worth Googling. He came to prominence in the Russia 2018 World Cup when Iran, who were training to Spain in the crucial second group stage game, and I referred to that a few moments before,
00:30:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
um, Mohamedy decided that this was his moment to shine, Ken. This was it. Iran had a throw-in and it was an opportunity to launch it into the Spain box and his signature move is one of these roly-poly throw-ins, you know, you do a somersault with it in order to get, you know, extra pace, elevation and and and and distance on your throw-in.
00:30:55
Ken Davies
Oh my word, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:31:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so, so
00:31:03
Ken Davies
Did it work out for him?
00:31:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, well it it didn't quite work out for him, but but of his own making, because bear in mind there's literally seconds to go in this game. And this is probably their last chance to get the ball into the Spain box.
00:31:11
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:31:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
it He went back to right, you know, right back as far as he could go, legged it forward, did a roly-poly throw in, did the throw in action, then stopped with the ball in his hands and then just threw it 10 yards to a player behind him.
00:31:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
and yeah And that was that.
00:31:29
Ken Davies
All build-up and no delivery.
00:31:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. yeah And that was that. And it became a really... It was one of those clips that, to use that cliched internet phrase of the 2020s, it went viral.
00:31:42
Ken Davies
Can you imagine?
00:31:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
a And you just think, well, what are you doing, mate? What are you I think he just...
00:31:44
Ken Davies
Yeah. And then they're actually blowing his whistle, presumably. just
00:31:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think he just got it all wrong. He just got it all wrong.
00:31:49
Ken Davies
Oh, man. Well, he's got a second chance now, hasn't in the next World Cup?
00:31:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, he needs to do a bit of practice. That's all I'll say.
00:31:55
Ken Davies
I think so.
00:31:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there are five players who I expect to see... featuring 40 round there, certainly five of their their star players, their better players, and we'll look forward to seeing them play.
00:32:07
Ken Davies
Very good. Thanks, Nick. Thanks for the deep
Iran's Key Figures and Coaching Style
00:32:09
Ken Davies
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00:32:30
Ken Davies
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00:32:48
Ken Davies
Nicholas. oh
00:32:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's that time It's everybody's favourite time the week apart from Ken's because it's time for Kenny's quiz.
00:33:05
Ken Davies
I mean, my knowledge of Iran is a lot better than it was this time last week, but it's still pretty flaky.
00:33:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. I've tried to make these quite easy. So they're both they're both sort of... ones ah ones ah so Oh, we always ken is his pipe's out.
00:33:19
Ken Davies
Got to get your pipe out.
00:33:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
His pipe's out. Ken's fiddling with his pipe again. So... These are two questions. I think you'll get these. I think you'll get these.
00:33:28
Ken Davies
So what am I? By one in three or something like? Three, one down or something on this? so
00:33:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're about 8-1 down, mate.
00:33:32
Ken Davies
Oh, no, no.
00:33:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's no coming back from this. You're going to have to get every quiz question right until the World Cup, just to draw a level.
00:33:37
Ken Davies
right OK, that's a challenge.
00:33:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
In December 2013, I know this was a massive story, though.
00:33:42
Ken Davies
Right, great start.
00:33:46
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:33:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
00:33:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
think right. In December 2013, the Iranian Space engine Agency send miles above the surface of the Earth?
00:34:03
Ken Davies
um
00:34:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
in in december twenty thirteen what did the iranian space agency send seventy four point five miles above the surface of the earth
00:34:12
Ken Davies
Right, what can it be? It can it can be ah it could be an animal. It could be a... ah It could be something religious, I suppose.
00:34:24
Ken Davies
ah ah It's not going to be a wardrobe, is it? It's not going to be a filing cabinet. ah So um don't know, by the way. the answer I'm going to go with an animal and I'm going to say they sent a dog 75 miles up.
00:34:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Great guess, mate. You're very close. It wasn't an animal. You're absolutely right. ah But it wasn't a dog, sadly.
00:34:51
Ken Davies
What was that
00:34:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And neither was it a beaver. it It was a monkey.
00:34:54
Ken Davies
it? Camel. A monkey.
00:34:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was a monkey. it was a monkey And it was a monkey called Fargam. And Fargam was a rhesus macaque monkey. It was the third time they'd sent a monkey into space. And there was a lot of...
00:35:06
Ken Davies
What, the same one? They must feel this thing coming back, are they?
00:35:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, no, no. The problem is... Well, this is the point, and this is why there's so much controversy about it, was because the previous one didn't make it back, sadly.
00:35:16
Ken Davies
Oh, no.
00:35:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Monkey died in space. This one allegedly did, but, that well, this is the point.
00:35:21
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:35:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
They only sent out all the kind of comms and all this kind of stuff after it had come back, and they sent out loads of photographs of the
00:35:29
Ken Davies
Yeah, here he is, like anyone. Like we know, Rhesus Monkey is like the back of our hands. you
00:35:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, to be fair, if you showed me a picture of the back of my hand and a rhesus monkey, I'd probably know which one was which.
00:35:34
Ken Davies
ah I don't think so.
00:35:40
Ken Davies
You'd probably pick, well, I wouldn't, but you probably would, yeah. So Fargan, is it Fargan?
00:35:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Fargam. But there was a lot of controversy because the the photographs they released of Fargam going up looked very different to the photograph of the monkey that said, here's Fargam who's come back again.
00:35:55
Ken Davies
Well, to be honest, Fargan who came back had quite a lot of PTSD, I would imagine.
00:35:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:35:59
Ken Davies
I imagine he's still in recess therapy now, isn't he?
00:36:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
it so
00:36:04
Ken Davies
Poor old fella.
00:36:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I know. and So...
00:36:08
Ken Davies
What do you learning from sending a sending a ah monkey to its absolutely guaranteed fate?
00:36:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it didn't look...
00:36:15
Ken Davies
You know, 75 miles up.
00:36:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
but you can see you can see yeah photographs of of the monkey strapped into the rocket. they Don't look happy again.
00:36:25
Ken Davies
i don't I don't want to say that.
00:36:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Doesn't look happy.
00:36:27
Ken Davies
It's cruel and it's pointless.
00:36:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Doesn't look happy.
00:36:31
Ken Davies
You know, if monkeys were sending up in so us up in space, we'd we'd have something to say about it, wouldn't we?
00:36:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, we sent Katy Perry up into space the other week.
00:36:39
Ken Davies
ah no No, Nick. No, move on. We're not going there. just I refuse to go there.
00:36:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:36:46
Ken Davies
Next question, you please.
00:36:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, the point though the point I'm making is that we sent humans up in a willy-nilly kind of...
00:36:51
Ken Davies
But monkeys don't do it, do they? Monkeys don't do it to us. We do it to monkeys. If monkeys were sending us up into space, we'd they' there'd be riots on the streets, wouldn't there, if the monkeys suddenly started to build rockets. Move on.
00:37:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
But who would be rioting? Would it be the monkeys rioting? Because presumably they'd be the dominant force if they were sending us into space. It'd Planet of the Apes.
00:37:12
Ken Davies
Yeah, but exactly. If it was Planet of the Apes and and we were the we were the recipients of the cruelty, we'd be yeah we wouldn't be happy about it. I'm on the monkey side here, to be honest.
00:37:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, so am I. don't worry don't Don't, you know, absolutely. Anyway, let's move on to the second question of two. And this is this is a very straightforward one. So if you get this wrong, i'm not I'll not be happy um not be happy with you.
00:37:30
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:37:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
What is the official language of Iran?
00:37:33
Ken Davies
okay
00:37:36
Ken Davies
I would imagine that would be farsi. ah but I can't be absolutely sure about it. I'd play around with Pashtun, but I'm going to go Farsi.
00:37:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, that's a far-sequel answer ah because it's it's the official language of Iran is Persian.
00:37:54
Ken Davies
It's Farsi.
00:37:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
and It's Persian. So that's what it says in my quiz book.
00:37:59
Ken Davies
It's Farsi. I'm just telling you.
00:38:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's not so this Listen, this whole episode is Farsi.
00:38:05
Ken Davies
Right. Matt, Matt, please write in and tell him that the official Iranian language is is is in fact Farsi. There you go.
00:38:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
but only if but yeah But only if you're angry about it. i'd like to I'd like to hear from Matt when he's cool, calm and collected. Right, so that's Kenny's quiz for this week.
00:38:20
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:38:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
and That had descended into absolute...
00:38:23
Ken Davies
One out two, mate. One out two.
00:38:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I would say nothing out two there and we'll move on because that that descended into Farsi. Right, ah very but before we look at the predictions, a very quick look at the Iranian manager.
00:38:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah yeah Right, yeah, which we we'll do this.
00:38:37
Ken Davies
I need to talk about Ali Day because you talked about the play.
00:38:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you want to do it now?
00:38:42
Ken Davies
I'm going to give two minutes on Ali Day. Now, if if you are you know anything about world football, ah we need, as we're doing in Iranian episodes, to pay tribute to Ali Day or Ali Doi, I think as you probably pronounce it in Farsi.
00:38:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Go for it. Go for it.
00:38:59
Ken Davies
um Now, so absolute legend. He's a legendary striker. Played from 1993 to 2006. 148 games. 108 goals. 108 goals for his country.
00:39:15
Ken Davies
That is more than, just to put it in some kind of perspective, Gary Lineker and Bobby Charlton combined. I mean, that's how that's how impressive this is.
00:39:26
Ken Davies
First Asian player to put player to appear in the Champions League, is which is amazing. Absolutely revered within ah within the game, within the Iranian game as an absolute legend. Played for Armenia, Bielefeld, Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin ah in Germany. So a big...
00:39:49
Ken Davies
ah a big career in Germany. ah First male footballer in world football at an international level to score 100 2004. achieved that. ah in two thousand and four he he achieved that ah All-time record only of 109 goals, only surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays, of course, for the Cristiano Ronaldo International XI 2021.
00:40:17
Ken Davies
But an absolute giant of Iranian football. And as we're here in Iran, I think we need to take our hats off and say, Ali Doi, we salute you.
00:40:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Brilliant player. Brilliant player. And absolutely. I mean, he was great. He was great to watch. Great, great striker. And he's up there, one of the world's great strikers.
00:40:38
Ken Davies
No question.
00:40:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Simple as that. Simple as that.
00:40:40
Ken Davies
No question. Sorry.
00:40:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, good.
00:40:41
Ken Davies
man
00:40:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
um did that note I'm glad you did that. That was absolutely the right thing to do. Similar two minutes. Let's have a look at Amir ah Galanoi. What are we to expect from him at next year's World Cup? Because it's been quite a controversial appointment as the Iran coach.
00:40:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
A 61-year-old man. He's appointed in 2023 to succeed Carlos Quiroz, as you mentioned before, Ken. Quiroz had some good success with the Iran team. and Yeah, it hasn't gone down too well, if I'm brutally honest with you.
00:41:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Initially, it was seen as a bit of an underwhelming choice. um
00:41:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah but
00:41:14
Ken Davies
He's had a terrible record, hasn't he?
00:41:16
Ken Davies
Like losing one in 31. Hmm, two.
00:41:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, his first spell in charge... Well, well you've said it yourself. look at the Look at the nature of the opposition.
00:41:25
Ken Davies
to
00:41:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And also, he's not doing what a lot of Iran football supporters want him to do. And ah ah talked about i mentioned this earlier on when when picking out the players. They're all they're all elder players. And they've had an amazing opportunity in the last year, two years, during this run of games,
00:41:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
to bring in youth, and he hasn't done it. So he's sort of stuck with this tried and tested, experienced players who are going to be a whole yeah another year older when when the World Cup starts. So he is it was previously... I mean, part of the problem is he's tired by a little bit of a spell he had for a year back in 2006, 2007, which didn't go well, and he and he and he was he was fired after a year. um Iran were eliminated controversially from the 2007 Asia Cup, and it was just...
00:42:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Didn't go down well. He's got a very good domestic record in the ah Persian Pro League. He's won seven domestic trophies. But many feel that his football isn't great.
00:42:19
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:42:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a bit turgid. It's a bit one-dimensional. It's a bit back-to-front, long ball ah kind of game. People aren't convinced about his tactical now when coming up against better teams, as he's going to do in the World Cup.
00:42:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
And there isn't a sense of... to I don't know, there's not a sense that, although you're right, I mean, the record their record's really, really good, but there's just not a sense that he's's he's up for the job when it comes to playing top-level opposition.
00:42:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's been a good degree of his of criticism against the form of the foreign-based players that they're kind of allowed to kind of get away with what they want to do.
00:42:54
Ken Davies
Mm-hmm.
00:42:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
There isn't that that discipline. and And as I said before, particularly that... that Criticism has been aimed at him. Whether it's fair or not, you know we'll see. But that criticism has been aimed at him of not bringing through youth.
00:43:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And therefore, there is a worry that when they get to the World Cup next year, the squad's just going
Iran's World Cup Prospects
00:43:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
to be too old. It's going to too old to do what they need to do, which is get out of the group stages for the first time.
00:43:18
Ken Davies
Well, that's an interesting perspective. And it probably, we need to reflect on that, everybody, when we come with our ah come up with our prediction for what they're going to do at the World Cup. ah By the way, just quickly on formation, i had a look at the last last few games.
00:43:31
Ken Davies
Maybe this plays into the narrative that you've just been developing there. it's It's the same every game. ah we talked We talked last week about...
00:43:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:43:41
Ken Davies
Mexico, didn't we? And and the fluidity and and you always get a different formation based on based on the opposition, which is a, you know, is your smart managerial move. ah Here you just get 4-2-3-1, 4-2-3-1, 4-2-3-1, 4-2-3-1.
00:43:57
Ken Davies
Really consistent in terms of the players. ah Now, forgive me, all Iranians out there listening ah for my pronunciation, but last game, Birnvand in gold, Mohamedy,
00:44:11
Ken Davies
Khalidzadeh, Karzani, Hardani across the back, across four. ah there's luck Ezatahlai and Godos in the defensive midfield.
00:44:24
Ken Davies
Gayedi, Teremi and Jaganbasht. in the attacking, stop laughing Nick, and Azmood up front, obviously. And everyone in everyone in Tehran now is going to be saying that guy's an absolute, he must be a native Farsi speaker.
00:44:40
Ken Davies
No, it's I'm not, but I give it my best shot. But that was the...
00:44:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah think I think everybody in Turan is going, I recognise any of those players.
00:44:47
Ken Davies
he talking about? What's he talking about? ah So anyway, it said that's the that's the team. That's the 4-2-3-1. That seems to be the team, and I'm not going to go through it again for preceding games.
00:44:58
Ken Davies
So he's super consistent, super consistent in terms of formation, super consistent in terms of team selection, which is on one hand good, but maybe it does play into this narrative that he's a little bit conservative, let's say that, a little bit conservative in his style and his selections and his approach.
00:44:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
thank Thank goodness for that.
00:45:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, I think so. I think so. and Okay, so come down the final bit of podcast, then we're going to look at predictions, how we think Iran are going to get I've got a little bit of a thought process on this, but Ken, you go first.
00:45:33
Ken Davies
Well, we talked earlier about the fact that Iran have never made it through the group stages. Obviously, we're talking about a ah different competition this time, 48 teams, 32 of which get through the group stages. So only 16 teams get left behind in the group stages.
00:45:49
Ken Davies
Are Iran going to be one of those? My prediction is no, they're going to get through the group stage. ah I don't think they're going to set the competition on fire. I just think, ah alluding to the point Nick made, I think we're talking about a team that's got a lot of nous, a team that's got a lot of knowledge, but ah not a team that's got a huge amount of flair, to be honest.
00:46:10
Ken Davies
think they're going to concede plenty of goals. They're going to score a few. But my prediction is they get through the group stages to the round of 32. but they don't get any further. So I've got them going out in round 32, but celebrating that they've got through the group stages for the first time, but probably got through on the basis of maybe three draws, something like that, or two draws.
00:46:31
Ken Davies
That would be my prediction.
00:46:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Okay, so I think that the... it's It's going to be a hard one. The constant shadow of politics makes football in Iran quite a hard sell. It's a difficult business. ah Previous sanctions has made it very difficult to develop the game.
00:46:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe that's why they don't have that youth coming through because they haven't really got any money out of FIFA and other football governing bodies because of the sanctions. And this whole show, i think, has led to poor facilities, underinvestment in the game in the country and geopolitics. So They can't come up against top-level teams. They can't test new blood.
00:47:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think they're left with this kind of ageing squad, if you like. And I think they're the two biggest barriers to success here. We've got a coach who plays what's perceived to be a fairly negative brand of football and the age of the squad. I mean, the average age of the team when they beat Uzbekistan recently in the World Cup qualifiers was over 30, as I said earlier on.
00:47:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's going to have to inject some youth into the squad against ahead of the World Cup. But where are those... really top-level young players and those who play at a high level, so in Europe, for example, are they going to come from?
00:47:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Are they coming in and are they kicking on? They've got a good front line. They're suspect at a back. They've never got out of the group stages the World Cup before, and I don't see them getting out of group stages this time.
00:47:53
Ken Davies
Ooh, that's the first one we've got going out of the group stages. So Iran, one of the earliest qualifiers for the World Cup, but going are crashing and burning, ah to use the resource monkey example again, ah in the first stages of the World Cup. That's the first one you've got going out in the group stages.
00:48:10
Ken Davies
I, by the way, Nick, am keeping a note. So far, you've had USA going out in 16, Canada in 32, Mexico in round of eight, and now Iran going out in group stages. So that's been our deep dive into Iran. Hope you've enjoyed it. We've covered a lot of ground there. I feel like I could i could i could do ah an exam on Iran now.
00:48:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that was that that was good. I do reserve the right, by the way, to change my mind on all of this ah because its it's still a year till the World Cup and form teams come in and out of form.
00:48:36
Ken Davies
I beg for you.
00:48:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you can't...
00:48:42
Ken Davies
We'll probably do a total prediction podcast in about a year's time.
00:48:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and it'll be interesting to see whether what we're thinking now has changed at all, ah because it might do, you know, it might do.
00:48:47
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:48:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
But so there we go. That has been the Road to World Cup 26 deep dive.
Next Episode Preview
00:48:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it was a deep dive this week, my friend.
00:49:01
Ken Davies
man.
00:49:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Deep dive into Iran. ah Next week, we are going to have a look at should we have a look at Japan?
00:49:08
Ken Davies
Yeah, looking forward to that one. That'll be fascinating.
00:49:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, let's have a look at Japan next week. And then the week after that, we've got probably a couple of weeks worth of podcasts looking at qualifiers because we're going to be into real qualifier territory at the end of May, beginning of June.
00:49:19
Ken Davies
June, an awesome time, isn't it?
00:49:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's massive. a massive's goingnna be There's going to be a lot of things decided in June. So I'm looking forward to those qualifiers and seeing how they go. But for now, that's it. Ken, thank you very much as always for joining me.
00:49:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Have a great time, everybody. Look after yourselves, look after each other. and This has been the Road to the World Cup 26.
00:49:34
Ken Davies
Pleasure, mate.