Former assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and coach of Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team, Carlos Queiroz, has stepped down from his duties as head coach of the Iran national football team.
The 62-year-old Portuguese, who has been in charge of the Iranian football team since September 2011, led the team to the 2014 World Cup.
The football specialist had committed to working in Iran until the 2018 World Cup, but changed his mind after a 1-3 defeat in a friendly match against Sweden.
"After four years in charge, I am proud of the Iranian national team and its players. It's a bit sad for me to leave the team, but such is life - I will look for new challenges," said C. Queiroz.
In the recently concluded Asian Cup, Iran reached the quarterfinals, but were defeated by Iraq in a penalty shootout.
C. Queiroz was Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United from 2002-2003 and 2004-2008, and coached Real Madrid in the 2003-2004 season.
He also managed the Portuguese national team from 1991-1993 and 2008-2010. Before his time at Man Utd, he coached the national teams of the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
15min.lt
