TEHRAN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran coach Dragan Skocic is seeking to change the playing style of Team Melli, Persian Football website reported on Wednesday.
Skocic said that he will try to build a new team with new players in the squad. "Right now, our focus is mainly on changing the style of the play of the national team," the Croatian coach said.
"Although I'm not an Iranian, I have spent many years in Iran. I know the problems of Iranian football and I believe that the country has very talented players who have football DNA, but they need to change their mentality about tactical football. I think Iranian football needs coaches who increase the motivation of the players to fight," he said.
Skocic was named as new head coach of Iran in February as a replacement for the Belgian coach Marc Wilmots, but he has yet to lead Team Melli in a match.
Iran will play Uzbekistan on October 8 in a friendly match in Tashkent and four days later they will face Tajikistan in Tehran.
Iran sit third, behind Iraq and Bahrain, in Group C of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian Zone qualification. Enditem
