Persian Gulf Pro League:
Osmar vows further improvement after winning start on Persepolis return
Persepolis head coach Osmar Loss Viera said his team still has room for improvement after the Brazilian made a fitting start to his second stint in charge of the Persian Gulf Pro League heavyweight.
A comfortable 3-0 home victory over Esteghlal Khuzestan marked the Tehran Reds’ third win in 10 outings this Iranian top-flight season, lifting the club to third place in the table on 15 points – two behind surprise leader Chadormalou.
Soroush Rafeie’s volley from Thievy Bifouma’s cross went in off visiting goalkeeper Mohammad-Javad Kia’s hands to put the home side ahead 16 minutes into the game at Shahr-e Qods Stadium.
The Reds dominated the game but had to wait until the 78th minute to double their lead, as Hossein Kan’ani converted from the spot after Rafiei was brought down in the box by Abolfazl Kouhi.
Summer signing Amin Kazemian came off the bench to open his account for Persepolis in the second minute of added time, slotting the ball past Kia in a one-on-one situation.
“We put in a solid performance and got a decent result,” said Osmar, who took over from Vahid Hashemian on the bench last week, having led the Reds to their seventh league title in eight seasons after taking the job midway through the 2023/2024 campaign.
“I think we controlled the game for the most part, though we were not aggressive enough in the first half and a bit hesitant in the opposition’s box.
“We came out with a more attacking approach in the second half and didn’t give them many chances, which in the end paid off with a great result,” added the 50-year-old after the Capital Reds recorded their most emphatic win of the campaign.
Responding to his players’ lack of precision in front of goal, Osmar said: “That question reminds me of my previous spell here, and I give you the same answer I did back then. Having possession is meaningless if your team doesn’t score. The important thing right now is that my team is fighting, and we are consistently creating chances and getting into the opposition’s box.”
“All players improve together at Persepolis and at every stage, our team has the potential to get better. We made some mistakes today, but I have faith that the problems will be fixed,” Osmar added.
When asked about the revitalized performance of some players compared to their time under the previous manager, Osmar said: “The process of building trust between a player and a coach happens through our daily work on the training ground. I’m not going to comment on the previous nine games or how the team was performing then. Just like in my last spell here, I know what Persepolis is capable of. I am only looking forward to the future.
“Unleashing the players’ full potential, which is fueled by the trust between them and the coach, strengthens the entire team’s structure. In my opinion, this trust is built day by day, brick by brick, as we work together.
“Even though we were missing one or two players today, the entire squad worked hard and performed well. Soroush had an excellent game; Hossein Kan’ani and [Hossein] Abarqouei were solid in the center of defense. Even [Mohammad] Omri had a good game despite playing out of position, while [Ali] Alipour delivered a strong technical and tactical performance.”
“When a team is fundamentally good and the entire unit plays well, it restores the players’ confidence back to the individual.”
Persepolis will be back in action after the upcoming international break, visiting Tabriz to face Tractor in a highly-anticipated Hazfi Cup fixture on November 21.