Valdir Vierra "Badu". Photo By Behrouz Mehri
We owe him, big time
Shameful mistreatment of a coach who rescused our soccer
team
March 9, 1998
Tamashagaran /The Iranian
Valdir Vierra, known to the soccer world as "Badu," has filed a complaint against the Iranian soccer federation. He had good reason to do so.
He was brought to coach the national soccer team when it was terribly demoralized and on the verge of an embarrassing disqualification from World Cup 98. He only coached two games, but by all accounts, his role in reorganizing the team and lifting its spirit was crucial.
Then suddenly, days after the epic 2-2 match with Australia which qualified Iran for the World Cup, everything changed. Instead of reaffirming his contract and giving him a much-derserved bonus, Vierra was caught in the middle of petty rivalries in the Iranian sports organization. He was forced to pack his bags and leave a country that owed much to him.
The following pages are dedicated to Vierra. It includes an interview shortly after Iran's World Cup qualification, an editorial on the way he was mistreated, and his resume (all in Persian).
These features mark the beginning of a partnership between The Iranianand Tamashagaran magazine. Tamashagaran is the most respected soccer magazine in Iran. As the editor, Nader Davoodi has brought together a great team of soccer experts, including Ata Behmanesh who writes and offers advice to the magazine.
Articles and exclusive news from Tamashagaran will apear several times a week in our premimum service, The Iranian Times.
* Interview
with Vierra
* Editorial
on how Vierra was fired
* Vierra's
resume
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Copyright © 1997 Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form.
