Marcelo Lippi and Carlos Queiroz; The Great Clash in Asian Football

The national football teams of Iran and China will face each other on Tuesday at Azadi Stadium in the first group of the World Cup qualifying matches. Iran is at the top of the table with 14 points and no goals conceded. A victory in this home match will secure Iran's safety. If Iran wins, considering two more home games, it will have an easy path to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. China, with five points, is in fifth place and must leave Iran with a strong performance to increase its slim chances. The Chinese have improved their situation compared to the first round by hiring the renowned Italian coach Marcelo Lippi, and they achieved victory in their last game against South Korea. Lippi has won all possible honors with Juventus in Italy and led Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup. The 68-year-old knows Asian football well and has guided Guangzhou to the top of the Asian Champions League while coaching in the Chinese professional league. Carlos Queiroz, in addition to his impressive international record, has the Iranian national team ranked first among Asian teams in the FIFA rankings and is the most successful Asian team in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. The confrontation between Iran and China represents a clash of ideas between two great coaches in world football. Queiroz, with the support of fans during the Nowruz holidays, hopes to secure all three points. The match will take place at 16:30 and will not have ticket sales. According to the Iranian Football Federation, entry to Azadi Stadium will be free for the public. The Chinese national football team coach did not attend the pre-match press conference against Iran. No specific reason has been provided by the Chinese team officials, and they will pay a fine for this absence according to FIFA regulations. Carlos Queiroz stated at the press conference: "Opportunities are available for all teams, and no team is completely out of the competition. We have a tough game against a good Chinese team with good players and technical staff." Regarding Lippi's absence from the press conference, Queiroz said to ask the relevant individuals. When asked if a victory for Iran would guarantee qualification for the World Cup, he did not answer directly but emphasized: "The presence of fans is very important. If the stadium is full, we will perform better, and the stadium will look beautiful." He discussed Iran and England's lack of goals conceded in the World Cup qualifiers, stating: "Our thinking is not just to defend, but we defend to gain possession and score. If a player loses the ball, two others are there to recover it. It doesn't matter if it's against Guinea or Argentina." In response to a Chinese reporter's question about the difference in China after Lippi's appointment, he said: "I know many things, but I will talk after the game. I have known Lippi for years, but China was not bad in the first round either." He was also questioned about leaving his Iranian assistants behind, to which he gave a sarcastic response: "I should ask Osiano and Marco (foreign assistants). I didn't know they came for the holidays." The captain of the Iranian national football team stated at the press conference: "Unlike China, we could not have good preparation. Our players are young and need the support of fans." Seyed Jalal Hosseini commented on Iran's record of not conceding goals: "We are not thinking about the record. We are only thinking about tomorrow's game, and we will go into the field to win against a good Chinese team." Additionally, a meeting was held with officials from the Iranian and Chinese football federations to sign a sister city agreement between the two federations. Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian federation, stated that China can assist Iran in various fields, including the development of women's football and organizing camps.