Nekounam Team Mello Coach

PLDC - Foolad FC has reacted to remarks made by a spokesperson with the Iranian football federation who had claimed that Javad Nekounam would join Team Melli as an assistant coach.

Ehsan Osuli claimed on Friday that according to an agreement, Nekounam will help Carlos Queiroz in Team Melli while also remaining as the head coach of Foolad FC.

The claim was soon responded to by the Ahvaz-based club’s managing director Hamidreza Garshasbi who rejected it as a rumor.

“This is not the case and such a thing has not happened so far,” he told Mehr News Agency.

He noted that the federation had already sought to sign Nekounam but faced the club’s opposition. “We do not want to lose our head coach under any circumstances.”

According to Garshasbi, Nekounam had informed him in their last meeting that he would remain in the club.

This is while earlier reports claimed that Queiroz had named Alireza Mansourian as his assistant in Team Melli. However, addressing reporters on Thursday, the Portuguese made it clear that Nekounam was his first and last choice for the job.

Queiroz arrived in Iran on Wednesday and started a camp in Tehran to officially mark his return to Team Melli.

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