Following the 2014 FIFA World Cup, many Iranian players decided to join Arab football clubs. Reza Ghoochannejad, Ashkan Dejagah and Jalal Hosseini are among the most important players who left Charlton, Fulham and Persepolis respectively to join Qatari sides.
This has surprised local football coaches and analysts since they believe Iranian players could join even better clubs rather than deciding to continue their career in countries such as Qatar and Kuwait.
Ami Abedini, the former chairman of Persepolis FC, believes that Iranian players join Arab clubs mainly to take advantage of better financial conditions. “Foreign players are usually over-paid in countries like Qatar because of the lack of professional players,”
“However, I personally believe that joining Arab sides doesn’t help Iranian players in advancing their football career. Unfortunately, I see Ghoochannejad has left Charlton for Al-Kuwait. This is definitely not a good move for this player, but he has decided to sign with this club to guarantee his future from a financial standpoint,”
Under the tutelage of Abedini, Iranian footballers such as Mahdi Mahdavikia and Ali Daei moved to Germany. “In that time, Iranian players were hungry for progress. Although they could receive much more money from Arab clubs, they decided to join German clubs in the hope of improving their football career. Luckily, they managed to play for a number of important football clubs in Europe and they are currently highly respected for their achievements,”
Abedini went on to say that Iranian players should consider taking advantage of available opportunities for advancing their career. “Players who are under 30 years old should only think about football, not money. They have to make the right decision in order to benefit the country’s football. Over the next few years, the Iranian national football team won’t be able to repeat its past successes if players prioritize money over professionalism.”