The Iranian Football Federation has settled the position of technical director Amir Ghalenoei, after deciding to extend his contract to continue leading the Iranian national team until the end of the 2027 Asian Cup competitions, scheduled to be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Tehran Times newspaper reported, quoting Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, confirming Ghalenoei's continuation in his position, saying: "Ghalenoei will remain the coach of the national team. We have already received his plan for the Asian Cup, and the team's preparation camp will soon begin in preparation for the next international break, as we are working on several projects related to the national teams."
The Iranian Federation's decision to keep Ghalenoei comes despite the team's exit from the group stage at the 2026 World Cup, after settling for three consecutive draws, exiting the tournament by a narrow margin, at a time when several other teams opted to dismiss their coaches following the end of their World Cup campaign.
Ghalenoei is in his second stint with the Iranian national team, having previously led it in 2007, before returning to the position again in 2023, and successfully guiding the team to the semi-finals of the last Asian Cup.
The Iranian national team will participate in the next edition of the Asian Cup in Group Three, which includes Syria, Kyrgyzstan, and China, while the tournament kicks off on January 7 next, with the final match held in the Saudi capital Riyadh on February 5.
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