Veteran Iranian soccer manager passes away at 71
Former Iranian soccer manager and player Mansour Pourheidari has lost his battle against lung cancer and diabetes, and departed this life at the age of 71.
Pourheidari, who was born on January 26, 1946, in the Iranian capital, passed away at Iranmehr Hospital in the northern part of Tehran on Friday.
He was admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU) of the hospital earlier this month with a severe lung infection and serious breathing difficulties.
Pourheidari started his career with Tehran-based Daraei Football Club in 1962, before joining Taj (currently known as Esteghlal Tehran Football Club) three years later. He played for ten years at Taj, before returning to Daraei in 1975 to play his last two years at the club.
He was also a member of the Iran national soccer team, better known as Team Melli, from 1970 to 1973, and had three international caps.
Pourheidari started his coaching career after retirement from playing soccer, and was named the assistant manager of Esteghlal in 1980. He was promoted as the club's head coach in 1983 after Asghar Sharafi quit.
Three years later, he joined the Emirati professional association football club Al Ahli as the head coach, and led the team until 1989.
He was re-appointed as Esteghlal manager in 1989, and won the AFC Champions League title with the Iranian club in 1991.
Pourheidari left Esteghlal the next year but returned again as the head coach in 1995. After that, he was picked as the head coach of Fajr Sepasi football club for two seasons, but did not manage to pick up any trophy.
Pourheidari became head coach of Team Melli in 1998 and led it until 2000. He was the technical manager and a member of the Board of the Directors of Esteghlal club at the time of his death.
A number of high-ranking Iranian officials, including Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Masoud Soltanifar and Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi, and sports figures have expressed their deep condolences over Pourheidari’s demise.
Pourheidari’s funeral procession is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday at Shahid Shiroudi Stadium. He is due to be laid to rest at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran later in the day.
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