Iranian Football Federation targets Christoph Daum: FC Cologne manager

IRNA – The coach of second division Bundesliga club FC Cologne, Christoph Daum has received an offer to train the Iranian national football team, FC Cologne manager Michael Meier confirmed to the online site of the Koelner Express newspaper.

An Iranian person who spoke German contacted me by phone. We were prepared to receive a phone call from Iran, added the FC Cologne official, alluding to ongoing rumours about an Iranian offer for the 54-year-old Daum.

Meier added that he did not think that Daum whose contract with FC Cologne runs through 2010, would agree to the Iranian deal.

This is the second time after 2000 that Daum has received a bid to coach Iran.

A front-runner for the coaching job of the German national football squad eight years ago, Daum was forced to abandon his dream after failing a drug test.

Daum whose coaching stints included also VfB Stuttgart, Besiktas Istanbul, Bayer Leverkusen, Austria Vienna and Fenerbahce Istanbul, announced earlier that he had rejected national team coaching offers from the US, Serbia, Poland and South Africa.

According to earlier sports reports, another German coach, Peter Neururer had also been on the shortlist of the Iranian Football Federation.