Persepolis confirm negotiations with Gabriel Calderon
TEHRAN – Iranian football giants Persepolis have reportedly reached an agreement with Argentine coach Gabriel Calderon.
The team’s officials are under pressure after they failed to reach an agreement with Branko Ivankovic.
The Croat led Persepolis to the Iranian domestic treble last season. Under guidance of Ivankovic, the Reds experienced their first ever AFC Champions league final as well.
Ivankovic, who built the most decorated resume of any coach in Persepolis history, is now leading Saudi Arabian football club Al Ahli.
With just one month to go until the Iran new league season kicks off, Persepolis are still without a coach.
Calderon will reportedly pen a contract with Persepolis worth $1 million per year in the next few days.
The ex-Argentina midfielder, who has represented Albicelestes in the 1982 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, is familiar with coaching in the region since he has already led Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabian national football teams and coached Saudi clubs Al Hilial and Al Ittihad and Qatari outfit Qatar SC.
In the past few days, Persepolis have opened negotiations with several coaches in Istanbul, Turkey.
Greek trainer Takis Lemonis, Croatian coaches Ante Jurcic and Krunoslav "Kruno" Jurcic, Iranian-German Alexander Nouri and Italians Walter Zenga and Massimo Carrera are reportedly linked to the team.