On the 11th, the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) announced that it had parted ways with men's soccer head coach Skočić. The immediate trigger for the dismissal of Croatian-born coach Skočić was Iran's 1-2 loss to Algeria in a friendly match in mid-June.
Skočić, who has been in charge of the Iranian men's soccer team since February 2020, has won 15 out of 18 matches and led the team to the Qatar World Cup by topping the group. However, Iranian media have pointed out that Skočić has a poor record against strong opponents during his tenure, with one win and one draw against South Korea, in addition to a loss to Algeria. There are even rumors that Iranian players are divided over Skočić's suitability to coach at the World Cup.
Iran will be in Group B with England, Wales and the United States in the World Cup, which is set to open this November. This is Iran's sixth and third consecutive trip to the final stage of the World Cup. With just over four months left before the World Cup in Qatar, Iranian public opinion has criticized the inappropriateness of changing the manager at this time. The Iranian Tehran Times said, "This is not the best time to change the coach because the team does not have enough time to get ready for the tournament under the new coach. Iranian soccer has already lost to itself first in front of its World Cup opponents."
It is reported that the successor to the head coach of the Iranian men's soccer team will be a local coach, but the final choice has not yet been made.
