German football coach Winfried Schafer has been named as new head coach of Iran’s Esteghlal.

Schafer, who was without a team after parting company with Jamaica in last September, replaced Alireza Mansourian in the Tehran-based football team until the end of the season.

A source close to the club said the 67-year-old coach will come to Tehran within the next two days.

Winfried Schafer started his coaching career at Borussia Mönchengladbach II in 1982. He also worked at VfB Stuttgart, Tennis Borussia Berlin, Cameroon, Thailand and Emirati football clubs Al Ain and Al Ahli.

Esteghlal sacked Alireza Mansourian in mid-September after a string of dire results this season in Iran Professional League.

The Iranian popular football team negotiated with Fatih Trim but the former Turkey coach didn’t reach an agreement with them over financial issue.

Former Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster and ex-Al Hilal coach Zlatko Dalic were also among the candidates to be appointed as Esteghlal coach.