Bakhtiarizadeh walks out of Esteghlal interim job
Interim coach Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh parted ways with Persian Gulf Pro League club Esteghlal on Thursday – less than 48 hours after leading the Tehran Blues to the round of 16 at the AFC Champions League Elite.
Needing a draw in the final league phase game to secure a knockout spot, Esteghlal walked away with a 2-0 win at Al Rayyan on Tuesday – thanks to second-half goals from Mohammadreza Azadi and Alireza Koushki – to finish sixth in the west zone’s 12-team table with nine points.
As if Esteghlal fans needed more reason to celebrate only a second victory in eight outings at the competition, Tuesday’s result saw their city rival Persepolis – eighth in the table prior to the game – drop to ninth and miss out on the knockout phase.
Next for Esteghlal in the revamped tournament is a two-legged tie against Saudi Pro League heavyweight Al Nassr, with Cristiano Ronaldo and co. visiting Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on March 3, before the two sides square off in Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh a week later.
Speaking the post-match press conference on Tuesday, Bakhtiarizadeh said: “Esteghlal’s future is most important to me and I think now is the right time for the club to bring in a decent manager and coaching staff.”
Esteghlal has been reportedly in talks with Italian Walter Mazzarri for the permanent role in recent weeks with club CEO Mohammad Nazari Jouybari confirming on Friday that the Blues “are nearing agreement” with the former Napoli boss.
Bakhtiarizadeh took the interim role for a second spell this season when former South African head coach Pitso Mosimane walked out the job in late January.
Esteghlal won three games and drew two during Bakhtiarizadeh’s second stint – including an extra time 2-1 win at Shams Azar in the Iranian Hazfi Cup last 16.
The Blues are ninth in the Iranian top-flight table with 23 points – trialing the tip by 18 points – ahead of today’s home game against Nassaji Mazandaran.