Tehran: The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) announced Marc Wilmots as the new head coach of the national team on Wednesday, succeeding Carlos Queiroz.
Wilmots, a former Belgium international and head coach, will lead Asia’s top ranked team with the aim of competing in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
His first task will be to prepare Team Melli for international friendly matches against Korea Republic and Syria next month.
The two-time Belgian Coach of the Year began his managerial career with FC Schalke 04 as an interim coach in 2003, before a two-year stint with Sint Truiden. From 2009 to 2012, he was an assistant to Dick Advocaat and later Georges Leekens for Belgium.
The 50-year-old coach then took the reins from Leekens for the next four years, where he led Belgium to a quarter-final finish in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Under his tutelage, Belgium made it past the UEFA Euro 2016 group stage but their bid for a first title was cut short by Wales in the quarter-finals.
Wilmots spent a short period with Ivory Coast in 2017 but left after failing to reach the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.
Source: the-afc.com