Former Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz is heading east. Quite a long way east, actually - according to several news reports out of the Middle East the 58 year-old is the new manager of Iran's national team. Iran, ranked 43rd in the world according to FIFA, were once a highly under-appreciated regional powerhouse in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) but have fallen from grace somewhat in recent years, and Queiroz, apparently, is the man to take them above and beyond perennial Asian Cup contenders to regular World Cup qualification.
The Portuguese coach, who led his native side to a second-round exit to eventual champions Spain in the 2010 World Cup, will lead Iran through the 2014 competition in Brazil. His three-year contract is reportedly worth a total of around $6M, and the signing will end months of speculation regarding Queiroz's future - he had been repeatedly linked with the Iran team but had apparently turned the Iran Football Federation down several times already.
Now that they've got their man, Iran will be looking to once again overhaul Australia, Japan, and the Koreas to qualify and make an impression in Brazil, so if the country doesn't tear it up in Asia's rather byzantine qualifying stages don't expect Queiroz to make it through the length of his deal.
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