The Path of the Emperor

Coaching a big club is not easy no matter where this big club is. A club with an estimated number of 1 Million fans, one of the, or maybe the most supported club in Asia is a huge task for every coach. It's not just that you coach a team. It's a lot more involved. Apart of being a knowledgeable coach, you need to have the personality, the charisma, and the ability to handle players, fans, media, everything. When you coach as an example Peykan, you just have to think about coaching your team, but not about the media, former players, fans expectations or anything else. You are just focused on your team. When you coach a big club like Persepolis, there's much more to take care of.

After the derby I thought that the momentum is not with Persepolis and the 6 point deficit will in the end make the difference and Perspolis will lose the title. How wrong I was!

Just like all these comebacks in league games, Persepolis came back here again after being down and counted. The way Ghotbi handled players who considered themselves bigger than they actually really are, like Mamani, Sheys Rezaei or even Nikbakht, who was starting from the bench the last games, the way Ghotbi and his style of football won over neutral and even some blue fans, the simple fact that he handled all this pressure, expectations, and load on his shoulder by winning the league with actually 7 points without the deduction, a job managers with much more experience and prestige failed to do, all this shows that Afshin Ghotbi is a special coach.

After 7 years without a title he brought the glory, love and enthusiasm back to Persepolis and its fans, in his first season as the coach of the team. For now and for the future, it should be absolutely irrelevant whether he was a coach of a women's team, an analysor of the US team, some nerd from UCLA, or whatever else. For now, the only thing that matters is that Perspolis set a new league record in wins and goals scored. For now, the only thing that matters is the fact that he made Persepolis Champion of Iran's league and that is an achievement his critics can not even dream of.


Hail the Emperor!