Reuters: Iran appointed Portugal’s Artur Jorge as their coach on Wednesday ahead of 2010 World Cup qualifiers starting in February, Iran’s official IRNA news agency said. TEHRAN, Jan 2 (Reuters) – Iran appointed Portugal’s Artur Jorge as their coach on Wednesday ahead of 2010 World Cup qualifiers starting in February, Iran’s official IRNA news agency said.
Iran have been without a coach since the departure of Amir Ghalenoei after they were knocked out of the Asian Cup quarter-finals by South Korea in July last year.
Jorge, 61, has previously been in charge of the Swiss and Portuguese teams and quit as Cameroon coach after their quarter-final exit at the 2006 African Nations Cup.
Earning his credentials by taking FC Porto to victory in the 1987 European Cup, Jorge has also worked in France, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
German Winfried Schaefer and former French national team coach Jacques Santini had earlier been mentioned as possible candidates for the Iranian post.
(Reporting by Hosein Jaseb; Writing by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Alan Baldwin)
