Seedorf to make final call as Esteghlal coaching debate drags on
Esteghlal fans appear destined for another frustrating summer of rumors and speculation swirling around the future of the Tehran Blues.
While domestic rivals Persepolis and Sepahan have been quick to bolster their squads with several marquee signings, Esteghlal has yet to appoint a new head coach ahead of the upcoming Persian Gulf Pro League season.
Clarence Seedorf was unveiled as technical director and advisor to Esteghlal chairman Ali Nazari Jouybari last week, and the former Dutch international is expected to have the final say on who will take charge of the newly-crowned Hazfi Cup champion in the coming days.
A Rouzbeh Cheshmi’s last-gasp winner sealed a 1-0 victory over Malavan FC in the domestic cup showdown in late May, putting a lid on a dreadful campaign for the Capital Blues, who matched an all-time low in the Iranian top-flight table, finishing ninth with seven wins and 10 defeats in 30 games.
Mojtaba Jabbari, the sixth coach on the Esteghlal bench throughout the season, believes he has earned the right to be trusted with the permanent role for next season after a successful six-game stint as the interim boss. Jouybari insisted after the cup final that the former Blues midfielder “is on the club’s shortlist of candidates for the job”, though Seedorf is believed to be favoring a high-profile foreign tactician.
The club hierarchy has been reluctant to disclose details of the selection process, even as numerous names – including Spanish Quique Sanchez Flores, ex-Esteghlal Portuguese boss Ricardo Sa Pinto, and Dutch coach Henk Fraser – have surfaced in recent weeks for the Blues’ managerial role.
A couple of Brazilian coaches – Fábio Carille and Osmar Loss Vieira – are the latest names to be brought up in the Iranian media.
IRNA reported on Saturday that Carille has been approached by the Blues, while club spokesperson Saedeh Sima told Azad News Agency that Osmar is among the Blues’ candidates.
Carille, 51, led Corinthians to the Brazilian Série A title in his managerial debut season in 2017 but has achieved little of note at other clubs – including Saudi sides Al Wehda and Al Ittihad, as well as Japan’s V-Varen Nagasaki.
A familiar face among the Iranian football fans, Osmar, who served as a number two to Yahya Golmohammadi at Persepolis, was promoted to the head coach position midway through the 2023/24 season before steering the Tehran Reds to a seventh top-flight trophy in eight years.
The 49-year-old Brazilian left Persepolis for Buriram United last summer and won guided the Thai club to four domestic and regional titles as well as an impressive last-eight spot at the revamped AFC Champions League Elite.