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Vierra keeps job after top coaches snub Iran

TEHERAN, Dec 20 (AFP) -Brazilian Valdeir Vierra has been retained as coach of Iran, less than a week after the Iranian authorities admitted they wanted to replace him

The dramatic about face came after Iran received a quadruple snub in their search for a high profile coach to lead them at the 1998 World Cup finals in France.

Carlos Bilardo, who coached Argentina to the 1986 title, former Barcelona boss Johan Cruyff, Yugoslavian Bora Milutinovic, who took minnows Costa Rica to the last 16 in 1990 and was sacked by Mexico recently because of their poor manner of qualifying for the World Cup finals, and Portuguese coach Eduardo Vingada had all turned the job down.

“Unfortunately the coaches we contacted did not want the job,” said Daryush Mostafavi, President of the Iranian football federation.

Mostafavi then tried to sign former Bulgarian coach Dimitar Penev, who took his side to the 1994 semi-finals, but that too fell through.

On Saturday Mostafavi announced that Vierra would be retained and lead Iran to France.