Iranian coach Mansourian pens contract extension with Al Talaba
Iranian head coach Alireza Mansourian has signed a contract extension with Al Talaba that commits his future to the club until the end of the 2028/29 season, the Iraq Stars League outfit announced on Thursday.
The new deal came after Al Talaba claimed 14 victories from 25 games, suffering five defeats, in the Iraqi top flight since the 54-year-old Iranian took charge last November.
“According to the club management’s plan, Mansourian will not be solely responsible for the senior team but is also set to directly oversee the development of the youth setup at the club,” Al Talaba said in a statement, adding that the five-time domestic league champion – which last lifted the top-flight trophy in 2002 – aims to “implement a long-term structural and technical project to build a competitive team for the upcoming seasons.”
Mansourian’s men fell to a 1-0 home loss against Al Zawraa last time out in the league on Tuesday, dropping to fifth in the table with 61 points – one behind Al Zawraa in fourth and 16 adrift of runaway leaders Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya – with five rounds of fixtures remaining.
Al Talaba sat 12th in the 20-team table with three wins and three losses from seven games when Mansourian was appointed to the job.