Persian Gulf Pro League:
Esteghlal boss Bozovic bemoans ‘psychological issue’ after Havadar draw
Esteghlal head coach Miodrag Bozovic lamented the “psychological issue” among his players after the Tehran Blues were held to 2-2 draw at home by bottom-side Havadar in the Persian Gulf Pro League on Monday.
Prolific fullback Ramin Rezaeian put the Blues in front with four minutes into the game at the Azadi Stadium, only to see his goal canceled out by former Esteghlal midfielder Dariush Shojaeian two minutes later.
Mohammad-Hossein Sadeqi gave Havadar a surprise lead with a sensational strike just before the half-hour mark, winning the ball deep in his own half before charging forward all the way and slotting home a low drive from the edge of the box.
Esteghlal still managed to restore parity through Kasra Rahmati’s own goal six minutes after the break, though the final result extended the Blues’ winless run to nine games across all competitions since Bozovic took charge in February.
A four-time champion since the introduction of the Iranian Pro League in 2001, Esteghlal has collected only four points in seven top-flight outings under the Montenegrin coach, sitting 11th in the 16-team table with 30 points.
“It’s clearly a psychological issue. That’s the only reason I can think of,” Bozovic said of his side’s poor run of results.
“We dominated the game and created numerous chances. Today’s performance was by far the best from my players since I took the job, and I don’t think they have lost their motivation,” added the Montenegrin, who also believed some refereeing decisions, as well as time wasting by Havadar players denied his side a first league victory since February 22.
Esteghlal had two late winners – from Mohammad-Hossein Eslami and Rouzbeh Cheshmi – chalked off by VAR, which also overturned the referee’s decision to award the Blues a 64th-minute spot-kick after Mohammad Sattari’s challenge on Eslami in the box.
“Havadar’s first goal was offside, while I saw no problem with Eslami’s strike. VAR interruptions disrupted our rhythm and tempo in the second half, giving Havadar players the opportunity to recover their energy. That’s ultimately why we dropped points today.
“We barely had 20-25 minutes of effective play in the second half, as their goalkeeper and other players wasted so much time by laying down on the pitch. I don’t think that sort of behavior has any place in football,” added Bozovic, who can still steer his side to Hazfi Cup silverware at the end of a dreadful campaign.
Esteghlal will resume domestic cup action with a last-eight home game against second-tier club Paykan on Saturday.
Havadar, meanwhile, is on the verge of relegation after Monday’s result left it struggling at the bottom of the table with 20 points – seven adrift of safety – with three games remaining.