Breaking News: Iran Part Ways with Legend Ali Daei

In many ways it is a sad day for Iranian football, as the country's football governing body, the IRIFF (Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation), has parted ways with coach Ali Daei.

However, in many ways this announcement was inevitable, as a string of poor results in 2010 World Cup Qualifying has meant that Iran are now struggling along the road to South Africa in 2010.

After picking up just six points in five games in a qualification group that includes North Korea, Korea Republic, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, many fans and Iranian media personnel were calling have already been calling for Daei's resignation.

And after the 1-2 defeat at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, it was the IRIFF who took action, sacking Ali Daei after seeing the nation's top sports team falter once again at home.

However, straight after the match, Daei reacted angrily to local journalists who questioned whether he would step down from his role following his side's defeat.

He said: "I'm happy with the players' performance and I'm not going to resign.

"I believe the players played very well and I am proud of them now.

"We conceded those two goals because of our mistakes and I can understand how difficult it is for everybody, but what we have to do is try harder and claim as many points as we can in the forthcoming games."

The Iranian players—which include midfielder Andranik Teymourian who is on-loan at Barnsley from Premier League side Fulham—will now have to try harder without the coaching of Ali Daei.

Former Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin striker Daei, who is currently the highest international goalscorer ever with 109 goals for Iran, was appointed head coach back in March 2008.

The IRIFF had previously tried to install Spaniard Javier Clemente as coach, and after agreeing to join the IRIFF set-up in February 2008, he performed a U-turn, after saying that he did not want to live in Iran like the IRIFF had said, and instead would rather stay in Spain and only come over for matches.

No agreement could be made, and the long await was over when it was announced that national icon Ali Daei would take charge of the team in March 2008.

Now, at the end of March 2009, Daei has been relieved of his duties as coach, after enduring a one-year tenure of constant pressure from the Iranian media and fans.

A sad day for Iranian football in one way, but in another it is a new dawn, a new era in Iranian football, and one in which Iran will hope can take them to the biggest stage of all, the 2010 FIFA World Cup.