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Belgian influence on Iranian football will see Team Melli become a world force

Saeid Ezatohali

Saeid Ezatohali became the sixth Iranian player to begin plying his trade in the Belgian First Division A after he signed for KAS Eupen this week. Ezatohali joins initially on a season-long loan from Russian outfit Rostov but there is an option to buy should the 22-year-old midfielder impress during his time in Belgium. And there’s no reason why he shouldn't, as his fellow countrymen are all, for the most part, enjoying fruitful spells in the league.

It is this current productivity from the Iranian players in the First Divison A that will begin to have an extremely positive effect on the national team as Belgian clubs favor a technical approach to the game. If you were to look at some of the players that have come out of the Belgian First Division A over recent years it becomes increasingly obvious that this is a league that thoroughly benefits a player's development.

The most obvious would be Kevin de Bruyne who began his career at Genk and is now arguably the best player in the whole of the Premier League. The 28-year-old’s range of passing and vision is something that astounds on a weekly basis which is why Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville compared the Belgian to David Beckham and Steven Gerrard. Neville went as far as to say that de Bruyne is on the same level as Beckham when it comes to crossing. High praise indeed.

Other noticeable exports from the Belgian league would be Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Vincent Kompany. Of course, all these players at some stage have dominated world football but Belgium isn't a team reliant on individuals. The team is increasingly a sum of its parts given how strong their domestic football has become. Their number one world ranking and being among the favorites to win Euro 2020 in international football betting suggests that the Belgian revolution is, in actual fact, here to stay thanks to the coaching at club level.

The current national crop of players learned their trade whilst playing in Belgium and that is something that should excite all Iranian football fans. Should the likes of Ebrahimi, Mohammadi, Gholizadeh, Delfi, and Rezaei enjoy the same footballing education that the aforementioned Belgian superstars did, then the national team is likely to go from strength to strength.

That’s not to suggest in any way that Team Melli are currently struggling on the international stage. Quite the contrary, as this is a side on the up, currently enjoying an international revival. Sitting at an impressive 23rd in the Fifa world rankings, Iran is a team that has gone from punching well above their weight to more than holding their own when competing internationally, to which their 2018 World Cup exploits attest.

Remembering last year’s World Cup in Russia will be something that fills Iranian fans with pride but also disappointment as they exited in the group stage but only after a valiant charge during their three games. Iran came close to stunning Portugal and advancing to the round of 16 but it wasn’t to be on that occasion.

13 months later and Iran are without head coach Carlos Queiroz who has been replaced by none other than ex-Belgian international Marc Wilmots. Indeed, the Belgian influence on Iranian football is as strong as it has ever been and that should see the national team become more of an established world force.