DOHA: Iran's charismatic coach Afshin Ghotbi believes there are only two things in life that can make the world a better place -- love and football.
As a self-described “global citizen” he is in a perfect position to judge.
Ghotbi, 46, has seen the impact football has made for the better in South Korea, the United States, his native Iran and South Africa.
In an interview with Reuters during the Asian Cup, he said he hoped the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will do the same for the Middle East and the western world's perceptions of the region.
The engaging American-Iranian citizen who has a different perspective on life and football from many others in his profession, was part of Guus Hiddink's coaching staff when South Korea co-hosted and reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2002.
He will be heading back to the Far East to coach Shimzu S-Pulse in the J-League after the Asian Cup finishes but is determined to end as Iran coach by bringing the Asian Cup back to Tehran for the first time in 35 years.
Ghotbi is delighted that FIFA awarded the 2022 finals to Qatar as a vehicle for change, although he is not impressed with proposals to spread the finals around the region.
“Back in 2002, I think FIFA did very well to bring the World Cup to Japan and Korea then as that helped the evolution of football in those two countries. I also saw first hand how it transformed the Korean people.
“The world saw Koreans differently, Koreans saw the world in a totally different way too. Looking ahead to 2022, in the eyes of the western world, the Middle East is the sore thumb of the world, the outsiders.
“Maybe bringing the World Cup here will bring the world closer together, the Middle East will be understood better, and the west will come to the Middle East and realise, 'they are not so different from us, they have children, they have hopes and dreams, they love to get together, they love food'.
“From my experience of life there are only two things that bring the world closer together -- that's love and football.
“I think FIFA has provided a beacon of hope that could help us all get along, try to create a planet where everyone understands each other. I do not agree with co-hosting it around the Gulf States, it should stay in Qatar, but the whole project is very exciting.”
DRIVEN MAN
Ghotbi is not, however, some idealistic, romantic dreamer.
He is a driven man, who fell in love with the game as a toddler of three in Tehran when, like generations have done before him, began to play with a ball made out of rolled up socks or plastic bags when there was no real ball around to kick.
His family left Iran in 1977 when he was 13 and, luckily for him, settled in California, one of the few places in the United States with any kind of football culture at the time.
He watched the old Los Angeles Aztecs in the now defunct North American Soccer League at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, began to coach kids at a football acadamy a year later, and has been lucky enough to follow his star ever since.
“I am very lucky to have found my passion when I was aged three. From the moment I first kicked a ball I wanted to be a footballer. I have always been a student of the game and I think when you stop being a student you should stop being a teacher.”
Ghotbi, who looks like a cross between actor Al Pacino and singer Leonard Cohen when he smiles, has learned from some fine old masters including coaches Hiddink, Bora Milutinovic, Pim Verbeek and Dick Advocaat among others.
The knowledge he gained from them stood him in good stead when he returned to Iran 30 years after leaving and guided Persopolis to their first title for years in his first season with them after going unbeaten for their first 18 matches.
They won the league finally with an 96th minute winner in the final game of the season.
LIFE LESSON
Ghotbi also sees a life lesson in his return.
“A lot of people like myself, who leave their country of birth young, you find voids in your life, in your heart and your mind about who you are.
“I think going back after 30 years I became more of a complete person. I would encourage people who have been away from their roots to go back to them and discover who they really are. Its a very good, balancing feeling for a person.”
It also helped that they won the title in his first season there.
“Yes, my Farsi was very poor at the time, but I connected with the people. I brought a different style of working, of thinking and that style of working with the players and the media was very fascinating to the Iranian people.
“I had a global view of it: take the football passion of Brazil or Argentina and multiply it by 10 to see what football means to the Iranians. It is incredible.”
Ghotbi's immediate focus is bringing Iran its first Asian Cup title since 1976 and, while he was quoted “Jose Mourinho-like” as saying Iran would win the trophy before it began, he said he had been misquoted.
“I believe we should be competing, and that we can win it, I never said we would win it,” he said.
“And as for being like Mourinho. Yes I hear that, but he really is a special one. I think what he has achieved at his age, with his qualities is remarkable, he is an inspiration to every coach and I really admire him.
“But I am more humble than him. I still have to prove myself on the biggest stage, in Europe. Maybe one day after Japan, I can get to coach in Europe. I will never want to stop challenging myself until the day I stop breathing.”
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