Former Bari coach Beppe Materazzi is in talks to become the next manager of Iran.
''They asked me if I was available to coach the Persian national team and I immediately said I was not only available but enthusiastic,'' Materazzi said Tuesday, confirming contacts with Iranian Soccer Federation President Ali Kafshian.
Materazzi, 62, father of Inter and Italy defender Marco Materazzi, said he had been impressed by Iran's performance in its recent 0-0 draw in a World Cup 2010 qualifier against Syria in Tehran.
''The team has good individual skills. I would be very willing to go to Tehran to coach them''.
Materazzi, who has also coached Pisa, Lazio, Padova, Brescia, Piacenza, Venezia and Cagliari, had a brief spell abroad in 1999 as coach of Sporting Lisbon.
He was also the first Italian to coach a Chinese team, Tianjin Teda FC of Beijing, in 2003.
Materazzi quit Serie B side Bari at Christmas after losing the Puglia derby 4-0 to Lecce.
The Syria game was Iran's first qualifier for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The other teams in its group are Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran boasts one of the strongest soccer traditions in Asia.
It won the Asian Cup three times in succession, in 1968, 1972 and 1976, and came third twice, in 1988 and 2004. Its most notable achievement on the world stage was beating Australia in Melbourne in 1997 to qualify for the 1998 World Cup in France.
It has also played in two other World Cups, in 1978 and 2006.
Iran has shown lacklustre form since being bundled out of Germany 2006 at the group stage despite boasting stars like Bolton Wanderers midfielder Andranik Teymourian and Eintracht Frankfurt winger Mehdi Mahdavikia.
It has been without a coach since it lost to South Korea in the Asian Cup quarter-finals last year.
The Iranian soccer federation's talks with former Portugal manager Artur Jorge broke down in January and negotiations with former Spain coach Javier Clemente collapsed earlier this month.
