Ali Khatir, a member of the Football Federation's Board, spoke in detail about the status of the national football team and the preparation plans for the Asian Cup. He emphasized the need to support the coaching staff and players, pointing out the importance of solidarity in supporting the national team.
Support for Ghalenooi and the Necessity of Stability in the National Team
Khatir clearly stated in this conversation that the Football Federation's position regarding Amir Ghalenooi, the head coach of the national team, is entirely clear. He reminded that Ghalenooi's continued presence at the head of the coaching staff is fully supported by the members of the Board and the Federation's managers. According to him, at this stage, the national team needs stability and calmness more than anything else to be able to advance its plans with greater focus.
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Khatir emphasized: "It is the duty of the Football Federation to support the coaching staff and its programs and to provide the necessary facilities. This support does not mean ignoring weaknesses, but rather a thorough and critical examination should be conducted so that the team can achieve success."
The Philosophy of Friendly Matches and the Importance of Identifying Weaknesses
Ali Khatir continued by referring to the results of friendly matches and explained that the philosophy of these matches is not merely to achieve results. He stated: "Friendly matches are an opportunity for the coaching staff to see players in real match conditions and to identify the team's strengths and weaknesses."
He added: "If we are to make a mistake, it is better that this mistake occurs in friendly matches, not in official competitions. These matches provide a suitable opportunity to correct weaknesses." Khatir also pointed out the importance of understanding the team and learning from mistakes in these types of competitions, noting that if a friendly match leads to the identification and correction of several important weaknesses, it is valuable.
The Need for Support and Calmness for Players
Khatir further addressed the support for the national team players and said: "Mistakes exist in football, and this is natural. Players must learn from their mistakes and improve. It is the coaching staff's duty to examine and analyze these issues. Players need trust and calmness to be able to perform at their best."
He also emphasized the necessity of healthy competition within the national team and said: "Competition should be serious, and the national team jersey should belong to the player who has the necessary readiness and quality at that moment. The generational change should be logical, and experience and youth should be balanced in the team's composition."
Finally, Ali Khatir referred to the national team's preparation conditions and said: "If we expect the national team to compete with the best teams in the continent in the Asian Cup, we must provide suitable conditions for this expectation. This is a two-way relationship, and we must align the available facilities with the expectations."
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