Firat named as Sepahan coach

AFC - AFC Champions League 2007 runners-up Sepahan have appointed Turkey’s Engin Firat as their head coach on Thursday.

The Isfahan-based outfit had parted ways with Brazilian Jorvan Vieira following their dismal show this season.

Sepahan failed to clear the group stage of the AFC Champions League this year, were defeated in the Hazfi Cup quarter-finals, and lost the Iran Pro League title on the last day of the tournament after going down to Persepolis 2-1.

“We have signed a one-year contract with Firat, with an option to increase it to three years. Firat will also bring in one Turkish assistant coach in a few days,” club’s Managing Director Mohammad Reza Saket told Iranian Fars news agency.

Thirty-eight year old Firat served as assistant coach in Iran’s successful FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers third round campaign. He was an assistant coach in Turkish club Sivasspor before joining Saipa in 2006 in the same position.

Meanwhile, Iran Football Federation has announced that national team head coach Ali Daei will select Firat’s replacement before the start of FIFA World Cup fourth round qualifiers.