TEHRAN - A shortlist has been drawn up by Persepolis football club to succeed Juan Carlos Garrido.

A shortlist of several coaches has been analyzed however the club distanced themselves from links to some of them.

Persepolis parted ways with Garrido following poor results in the Iran’s Persian Gulf Professional League (PGPL) and AFC Champions League Elite.

Former Iran and Persepolis iconic midfielder Karim Bagheri has been appointed as interim coach but the club will surely hire a foreign coach in the coming days.  

Italian tactician Walter Mazzarri, who managed Napoli last season but without notable success, is a candidate to replace Garrido in the Iranian most decorated football team.

The 62-year-old coach boasts extensive experience across various clubs, including Inter, Torino, Sampdoria, Watford, Cagliari, Livorno, and others.

Mazzarri, who is known for his tactical flexibility and ability to organize a solid defense, has been also linked with a move to Dinamo Zagreb.

He had been linked to take charge of Persepolis in the summer but the agreement fell apart at the last moments.

Argentine coach Hernan Crespo is also a candidate and is free agent after parting company with Emirate side Al Ain. He helped Al Ain win AFC Champions League last season but was sacked after a string of disappointing results that culminated in a 5-1 loss to Cristiano Ronald’s Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite in November.

Former Sepahan coach Jose Morais is also a candidate to take charge of the team.

The Portuguese coach left Sepahan in early November and media reports suggest that he has been linked with Persepolis.

Former Croatia and Bayern Munich head coach Niko Kovac was also a candidate but the media reports suggest that he has rejected the job and would rather take up a position at one of Europe's leading clubs.

Quique Sanchez Flores is another option but it is unlikely to happen because the Spanish coaches have not been successful in Iran football so far.

Paul Le Guen, Fabio Cannavaro, Slaven Bilic, Lucien Favre and Frank de Boer are among the other candidates.

Defending champions Persepolis sit fourth in the table five points adrift of the leaders Tractor and are still the favorites to win the title.