Tehran: The saga of Carlos Queiroz’s time in charge of the Iranian national side has taken a fresh twist, with the Portuguese coach making a sudden U-turn to lead the team’s 2018 World Cup campaign.
Queiroz, a former Real Madrid boss and ex-assistant to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, announced last month that he was quitting the Iran job, citing unspecified “pressures”.
The 62-year-old has since been involved in a squabble over taxes that, days after quitting, saw him stopped from leaving Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport with his players.
But Iranian media reported on Sunday that Queiroz will stay for the qualification campaign for the 2018 finals in Russia, ending a battle between the football federation and the sports ministry.
“Anyone who doesn’t like this can leave the federation since the ministry has concluded to continue with Queiroz,” said Reza Hosnikhu, an official who was picked to mediate the dispute.
“Harmony” must now prevail, he told reporters.
