More Iranian Footballers to Play in German Bundesliga
January 12, 1999 - 0:0
TEHRAN The number of Iranian footballers playing in the German Bundesliga is about to increase, the Teheran press reported Sunday. Dariush Yazdani, a midfielder playing for the Tehran club Esteqlal, had signed a contract with the German first-division team Bayer Leverkusen and might even join the team on its upcoming tour of Brazil and Paraguay, the daily Abrar Sports reported. The daily Akhbar reported, however, that Yazdani, who played well in the recent Asian Games in Bangkok, had indeed signed for Leverkusen but would be playing for the first five months for Borussia Moenchengladbach, which is at the bottom of the league.
Akhbar added that Ali Mussavi, who is also with Esteqlal and scored several important goals in Thailand, had signed a contract with Moenchengladbach. The daily quoted Iran's star Mehdi Mahdavikia as saying that he would soon be leaving Tehran for Hamburg to hold talks with the northern German team. Mahdavikia was exempted last year from Iran's two-year military service after scoring against the country's political arch-enemy, the United States, at the World Cup in France. There are two Iranian players in the first division of the Bundesliga. Ali Daei is playing for league leaders Bayern Munich and Mehdi Pashazadeh for Bayer Leverkusen. There are also two Iranians, Karim Baqeri and Khodadad Azizi, playing for the second-division teams Arminia Bielefeld and FC Cologne, respectively.
Iran dominated Asian football in the 1970s, but after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the eight-year war against Iraq it went through a ten-year low before winning the gold medal at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing. The Iranians, who had taken part in the 1978 World Cup, qualified again for the world championships in France last year, losing 1-0 to Yugoslavia and 2-0 to Germany, but defeating the USA 2-1.
Iran concluded the year by winning the Asian Games final against Kuwait by 2-0 in Bangkok in December. Aside from the Iranian players in the German Bundesliga, there are also some playing in Belgium and Greece, as well as in the leagues of the rich Arab Sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf region. (DPA)
Akhbar added that Ali Mussavi, who is also with Esteqlal and scored several important goals in Thailand, had signed a contract with Moenchengladbach. The daily quoted Iran's star Mehdi Mahdavikia as saying that he would soon be leaving Tehran for Hamburg to hold talks with the northern German team. Mahdavikia was exempted last year from Iran's two-year military service after scoring against the country's political arch-enemy, the United States, at the World Cup in France. There are two Iranian players in the first division of the Bundesliga. Ali Daei is playing for league leaders Bayern Munich and Mehdi Pashazadeh for Bayer Leverkusen. There are also two Iranians, Karim Baqeri and Khodadad Azizi, playing for the second-division teams Arminia Bielefeld and FC Cologne, respectively.
Iran dominated Asian football in the 1970s, but after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the eight-year war against Iraq it went through a ten-year low before winning the gold medal at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing. The Iranians, who had taken part in the 1978 World Cup, qualified again for the world championships in France last year, losing 1-0 to Yugoslavia and 2-0 to Germany, but defeating the USA 2-1.
Iran concluded the year by winning the Asian Games final against Kuwait by 2-0 in Bangkok in December. Aside from the Iranian players in the German Bundesliga, there are also some playing in Belgium and Greece, as well as in the leagues of the rich Arab Sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf region. (DPA)