Legends of International Football - Ali Daei

When he was at the top of his form playing for Iran, it wasn’t an uncommon sight to see opponents double or even triple marking him. He was bashed around and, at times, even maliciously fouled. But still he scored. Even with the massive number of games he played, he still managed to maintain a phenomenal 0.75 goal per match ratio.

There are those who try to downplay his achievements with the excuse that the Asian teams he regularly faced were not necessarily of high quality. But his respectable performances in the German Bundesliga for Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich and Hertha BSC and in the 1998 World Cup do enough to silence the critics.

In fact, it is popularly believed that German and Bayern legend Franz Beckenbauer handpicked him, as he rated Daei as a world class center-forward.

His move to German Bundesliga paved the way for many promising Iranian players including the likes of Mehdi Mahdavikia, Vahid Hashemian, and Ali Karimi. After winning the ’99 Bundesliga with Bayern and playing in the Champions League with Hertha BSC, Daei, aged 34, returned to play in Iran despite having offers from a number of English Premier League and J-League teams.

Honours:

• Most Valuable Player and top scorer of the 1994 Asian World Cup preliminary finals (4 goals, Doha/Qatar).
• Top scorer of the 1996 Asian Cup (8 goals, UAE).
• Named the world’s top scorer in official international competitions by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
• Top goal scorer of the Iranian National Team in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995.
• Asian Footballer of the year 1999.
• A 20,000 seater stadium in Ardabil, Iran has been named Ali Daei Stadium.

A section of the fans criticized Daei in the final leg of his international career as he refused to retire from international football even at the age of 37 and went on to play the 2006 World Cup. It was perceived as an uncharacteristically selfish act on his part, costing a number of younger players a chance to shine.

He had always said he would like to be associated with football after retiring as a player and took up coaching and managing after his free scoring days were over.

He has till date managed Saipa, Rah Ahan and Perspolis in Iran, and also coached the Iran national team for a couple of years.

The slight controversies aside, Daei was adored by millions of Iranian fans for his commitment to their beloved Team ‘Melli’ – as their national team is popularly called. Although his fame is attributed mostly to his impressive goal scoring, it is his passion, commitment and love for his country and the game that has ensured his legendary status.

Nicknamed ‘Shariar’ – meaning the king, his simplicity and his humbleness about his achievements can be seen in the numerous interviews he gave.

In an interview given to Football Mundial, he said: “A number of factors have enabled me to score more than a 100 goals at international level. It is mostly down to my belief in God but also due to my unconditional love for my country and the national shirt. It would all have been impossible without the help of my team-mates who helped create all those goals and with their assistance I was able to be so consistent over the past decade”.

There are players with great skills, big fan following, some go on to win a lot of trophies by being in the right team. But what makes a Legend?

A player becomes a legend when he not only achieves special landmarks but also when he contributes to the sport; he goes on to set standards for future generations, introduce something new, exhibit a great character and reach the pinnacle of sporting excellence.

And that’s exactly what Daei did.