BERLIN Iran's national football team captain and Hertha Berlin striker Ali Daei met with the Head Coach of Austrian Rapid Vienna, Lothar Matthaeus, regarding a possible transfer to the team, the daily **** Berliner Morgenpost **** said here Monday.

Daei reportedly talked to Matthaeus following Rapid's 2-0 victory against SV Ried, but no further details were available.

The Iranian superstar made a stop in Vienna over the weekend on his way back to Tehran to prepare for Friday's crucial World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia.

Matthaeus, a former teammate of Ali Daei at Bayern Munich in the late 90s, took over recently the Austrian record champion team which is currently ranked fifth in the football league, IRNA reported.

The former German captain has urged team officials to sign up new players in a bid to strengthen the squad for title contention.

Meanwhile, Hertha Berlin officials were unaware of any contract talks between Matthaeus and Daei whose contract runs through 2002.

Berlin officials told Daei he could leave the German squad for a 2.5 million mark transfer fee.

Daei, a national hero to millions of Iranians, has repeatedly expressed his deep frustration with being only a rarely used substitute in Berlin and demanded a trade.

Berlin Coach Juergen Roeber let Daei know that he would remain a secondary choice in this Bundesliga season, after acquiring Brazilian Marcelinho who will battle it out with fellow compatriot Alex Alves and German Michael Preetz for the two forward posts in the team.

Daei, a key player for Berlin two years ago, played only sporadically last season.

The former Pirouzi player was recently linked with Greek first division team Aek Athens and Turkey's Besiktas Istanbul.