On the sidelines of his visit to Abadan, Amir Ghalenoui said about the national team’s plan to use young players: We planned to create this space in the last Fifadi as well, but due to the same time as the Nagoya tournament, this program was postponed to the upcoming Fifadi. The players who have worked hard for the national team in the past are still in our thoughts and if they have the necessary technical conditions and preparation, age is not the main criterion for us.
He added: “We want to give more opportunities to young players in this Fifadi as well as the upcoming windows, so that as the Asian Nations Cup approaches, we can have a combination of young and experienced players and appear in these competitions with better conditions.”
The head coach of the national team emphasized that the principle of selecting players is based on merit, and said: “The national team is the place of the best.” Generational change in football is a natural issue, but the most important principle is that any player who has better technical and tactical conditions will deserve to be in the national team. At the moment we have decided to give more space to the youngsters, but this does not mean to ignore the experienced players.
Referring to the football position of Khuzestan and Abadan in Iranian football, Ghalenoui said: Khuzestan and Abadan have always been one of the country’s football poles. At times, a large number of national team players were from this region, and this shows the high talent and capacity of Khuzestan football. I hope that the country’s officials, especially the governors of the province and region, will have a special look at football in this region.
He clarified about the conditions of Abadan oil industry: Oil industry is one of the teams that people all over Iran are interested in. Abadan has always had a special place in the country’s football due to the enthusiasm of the fans and its technical and pure football. I believe that this team should be in the Premier League, but the realization of this issue requires the provision of infrastructure, financial support and the creation of a suitable platform.
The head coach of the national team continued: I hope the officials of the province, Arvand Free Zone, refinery complex and other related sectors will pay more attention to the oil industry. I myself was present in Khuzestan for a year and I am closely familiar with the passion and prejudice of the people of this region for football. I hope Khuzestan football will find better conditions both economically and sports wise considering its historical position.
In the end, he expressed his hope that with more support for Khuzestan football and Sanat Naft Abadan club, this team will be able to return to its rightful position in the country’s football.
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