Karimi(Bayern) News Thread

Discussion in 'Iran' started by Ferdosi, Jul 7, 2005.

  1. !Bob

    !Bob Member

    Apr 28, 2005
    UK
    Hey virulent, just saw that you've joined the "elite". Congrats and nice avatar. Also thanks for the news.
     
  2. Ferdosi

    Ferdosi Member

    Oct 6, 2004
    Thx! I had to contact my father to register my account from Iran. :p
     
  3. Ferdosi

    Ferdosi Member

    Oct 6, 2004
    SV Dessau 05 - FC Bayern 1:10 (1:4)

    Bayern who are in a tough training period had a practice session this morning while their friendly against SV Dessau 05 was played in the evening. Karimi walked away goalless while Makaay and a new born Santa Cruz scored four each.

    Bayern's next friendly will be against second division side Karlsruher SC. So far Bayern has played five pre season friendlies winning all five and scoring 58 goals.

    FC Bayern: Rensing - Sagnol, Jeremies (46. Mauersberger), Ismael, Lizarazu - Hargreaves, Karimi (46. Ottl), Salihamidzic (46. Rau), Scholl - Makaay, Santa Cruz

    Fans: 15.500

    4 Goals Makaay,4 Goals Santa Cruz,2 Goals Mehmet Scholl
     
  4. Afshin

    Afshin New Member

    Jul 11, 2005
    San Francisco
  5. BMike86

    BMike86 Member

    Jun 26, 2005
    Minneapolis, Minnesota
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is a little off topic, but there is a thread in the Europe forum, UEFA/CL thread about who will win the CL. Please vote for Bayern and blow away the other posters just like you guys do in the Bayern player votes. :D
     
  6. Afshin

    Afshin New Member

    Jul 11, 2005
    San Francisco
  7. ShaRule

    ShaRule Member

    May 5, 2005
    Belgium - Iran
    good, he scored against a good side!
     
  8. BMike86

    BMike86 Member

    Jun 26, 2005
    Minneapolis, Minnesota
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is pretty good news :D

    I cant wait to see him play in the starting lineup for Bayern. I can see him playing a center midfield behind ballack the attacking midfield. :) Because Ze, Schweinsteiger, and Deisler can all play the wing
     
  9. Afshin

    Afshin New Member

    Jul 11, 2005
    San Francisco
    I think Magath has said that he wants to give Karimi the attacking role and have Ballack move more to the midfield. I am not sure how Ballack feels about this though.
     
  10. Ferdosi

    Ferdosi Member

    Oct 6, 2004
  11. Ferdosi

    Ferdosi Member

    Oct 6, 2004
    Interview

    So why are you leaving Dubai now?
    I spent 4 years at Al Ahli. I think that’s enough, its time for me to give it a try in Europe. I am a foreign player and everybody understands this. Now is the time to achieve my dreams in Europe.

    But you refused to play for Hamburg SV and Perugia 2 years back?!
    Yes I had offered from several clubs, I am not saying this in an honor, but to make the facts clear I was waiting for the right club at the right time, two years ago I had agreed to stay with Al Ahli for another 2 years and now that period is complete. To be honest I was expecting to play for a big club some day and with all my respects to the other European clubs I wasn’t satisfied with the offers.

    My name is Mohammad and not Ali!
    During the interview, I told him that many forget that you have a name before Karimi, he said yes, some don’t know that I have a first name and most think that my name is Ali. I tell them my name is Mohammad Ali Karimi but it doesn’t work. It’s because of the commentators during the matches who don’t even know my actual nam, that’s my fathers name.

    Did you sign with Bayern on the condition to extend the contract for another year?
    No. I didn’t set any conditions, my contract ends in 2007 but the minimum term is set for one year, we can extend the contract for another year. The second year is an optional extension of the initial one year contract.

    How do you see yourself doing in Bayern Munich?
    I will do everything in my power, I believe I will be successful in Bayern Munich. They opened the door for me and I’m not blocking my way. They know my abilities and kept an eye on me in more than one incident, they know what they want and from Asian Cup 2004 I showed what I can do. On the other hand Bayern Munich has a lot of skillful players, especially in midfield. Big clubs like them don’t give a many opportunities to the players, so I am well aware that I have to make use of mine in the correct way.

    Your compatriots Ali Daei and Vahid Hashemian weren’t able to find success at Bayern?
    Success is in the hands of God, I always ask ‘how are the players chosen?’, how are players chosen to be unsuccessful? Daei and Hashemian are big players who have achieved a lot, being in Bayern Munich is a sign of their success. I think it’s up to the coach, neither player got a real chance. If my place is on the bench then I’ll have to face it and not play, but I will do everything I can to challenge and go on with Bayern Munich.

    The Wizard and Musician
    A talented player with superior skills, he is been given a lot of names; The Wizard, The Musician, in addition to new names such as Cobra and Asia’s Maradona. When we asked Karimi what his favourite nickname was he said he likes his real name and doesn’t look much into his nicknames.

    What is behind the presence of many Iranian players in the Bundesliga?
    The style of an Iranian player’s football is what describes it, because he has the vision of German football. He has the physical strength and pace that suits the Bundesliga, for Iranian players the best offers usually come from Germany.

    How did Bayern Munich approach you?

    They were interested in me from what they saw in Asian Cup 2004, I wasn’t aware of this, they were also following me in all the tournaments I was participating whether with the national team or club. They began by contacting my manager and we came to an agreement.

    Number(8)
    When I asked Karimi why he chose the number 8 shirt he said “there is no significant reason. It’s just a lucky number. The player himself is the one who does everything and not the number. But everyone likes to wear this number. I used to have this number in Persepolis and Fath, and also wore it with Al Ahly. I’m more occupied with my performance and proving myself in the team. It doesn’t matter what number I’m wearing.”

    Why did you lose your form last year?
    You mean Al Ahli’s form?

    No, I mean your form personally
    This is a repeat question and I will answer again; Ali Karimi did not lose his form. It was the condition of Al Ahli last season which was difficult to cope with. We had 3 different coaches in 1 season andmany tournaments that we had to participate in. The team as a whole was affected by this and not just Ali Karimi. I am only one of the eleven players on the field.

    Worst Season
    2002/2003 was his worst season according to Ali Karimi. He faced a serious injury that kept him away for seven consecutive matches. This was attracted the attention of the local newspapers where they attacked the responsible player Salah Abbas (Al Nasr) for his extremely rough play.

    There are rumors that you have lost interest to play for Al Ahli after the Bayern offer?
    Actually it was the very opposite. I had to show myself in that period to prove my new club that I’m capable of playing in the Bundesliga. I also had to play well to end it in a good way and have good memories.

    After playing 4 years in UAE, how did you find the experience?
    UAE League is great and I found it very useful, a reason to this is my transfer to Bayern Munich directly from UAE League.

    And how do you find the UAE players?
    They are lost between their identity and profession. Their football association should support them until they are given what they deserve. They are not any less than their opponents in any of the country. You can look at them in the Persian Gulf tournaments for instance.

    Do UAE players play better in their clubs than in the national team?
    Yes, I am shocked about this. I think that in UAE they have the ability to reach European football level. A lot of the players in the league could play in Europe, but the laziness there holds them back. They don’t keep their coaching management long term which is a big problem. Everyone should learn from South Korea; their results in the Asian Cup 2000 was aweful, but just two years later the whole picture changed. The full chance was given to Guus Hiddink to show everyone what he can do.

    Would you like to see Iran participate in Persian Gulf tournaments?
    I think there would be a political influence if we want to join the tournament, just like the entrance of Yemen and Iraq that came back after many years. Personally, I hope to see Iran participate in this tournament but I unfortunately don’t think we can do this.

    University Student and Merchant
    Before Ali Karimi started his professional football career, he got his Bachelor’s Degree in the field of Literature. He likes to spend time reading, particularly Iranian Literature that he finds very interesting and educational. He is also a merchant and now owns a construction company in Dubai.

    Let’s go back to the start. How did it all happen?
    I started my football by training on asphalt in the streets, then I played for Fat’h club in Division 2. Later on I transferred to Persepolis for $15,000 where I was able to get many trophies with them before I went to Al Ahi. I was about to play for Atletico Madrid. I even trained with their team for 4 days, but Perspolis failed to reach an agreement with Athletico. So I signed with Al Ahli, and from there I continued to receive offers from clubs like Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid once again, Chelsea, Hamburg SV and Perugia. Others were Arab sides Al Hilal of Saudi, Al Sadd and Al Gharafa of Qatar.

    Is it true that Al Ahli stole you from their derby rivals Al Nasr?
    In this profession there isn’t such thing as ‘stole’. But who ever wants to attract a player must be serious about their offer, and I didn’t find this in Al Nasr. On the other hand Al Ahli was more serious and willing to have me, I spent my best years in there. Life in Dubai is so calm, I had a relaxing private life which is important to me. Do you know that I’m leaving my family here in Dubai and going to Germany on my own? I am not completely done with Al Ahli, I hope to go back there as a player or coach.

    Don’t you regret your refusal to play in Europe during the previous years?
    Yes, sometimes. I was supposed to go there a long time back, but I don’t think about this issue too much because I was very young at the time, I achieved a lot during my 4 years with Al Ahli, my hopes are still alive since I can play for another 7 years.

    Problem with Israel
    The UEFA Champions League has become an important part of Karimi’s agenda. Bayern Munich are expected to play with Israeli clubs in the tournament, where Karimi, who gives his love and support to the Palestinians, will face a problem. ‘Sport News Host‘ Magazine reminds us that Karimi has requested not to play for any of those matches Bayern will be playing. A similar incident had occurred with Hashemia, who did not participate due to back injury as told by Felix Magath.

    If you come back to UAE League, who will you play for?
    With all respect to Al Ain and Al Wahda, if I return to UAE I will only play for one club and that’s Al Ahli, it’s like my home and I cannot go away from them.

    When will you think of returning to Iran?

    If I think of returning to my country, I will go back to Persepolis, but at the moment I wouldn’t think of returning to Iran, I would actually think of returning to Al Ahli.

    Some say that you are a selfish player
    I respect everyone’s opinions but I find this different. I just use a different method to help my team when we are in difficult situations. It can solve the problem and make everything easier. I play with a team of eleven players so there’s nothing strange about it.

    Your team mate Salim Khamis also says you’re just one of eleven players
    Salim is not wrong about this, indeed I am one of the eleven players..

    Mahmoud Karimi!
    I asked him about Sepahan’s striker Mahmoud Karimi he said “He isn’t my brother.. we just have a common name. We aren’t even related. I have a brother playing in the Iranian league but he isn’t a striker or a midfielder, He is a goalkeeper!”

    Did you expect Iran to qualify for the World Cup?
    Yes, at the beginning everything was in our favour, we had to win two important games to show everyone that were the most deserved team to qualify, thank God I achieved this dream and my dream of playing in the World Cup, it’s the place where every player has an opportunity to shine and bring himself to fame.

    Don’t you think Iran should bring another Striker to replace Ali Daei who is already 36 years of age?
    First of all this is up to the coach, he is the one who chooses the players. I think the coach sees Ali Daei as a capable player of making good use of the chances. Also this is up to the player himself, if he thinks he is able to continue, then there’s nothing wrong with playing for the national team at 36. But this does not mean that there aren’t any other strikers. It’s enough to say that he is the world’s number 1 goal scorer at international level, the reason behind this is that he’s a great player, we won’t find another Ali Daei in Iran.

    Do you envy him for having more attention and support by the media?
    Not at all, he deserves all this support. He has represented Iranian football whether playing for the national side or his club. It is normal to get what he deserves from the media, he also gives us an idea of how to get to where he is.

    What do you think of Branko Ivankovic?

    A great coach who got good results with us, he got us to the World Cup, he knows the abilities of Iranian players very well, I think the Iranian Football Federation made the right choice selecting Ivankovic.

    Don’t you feel somewhat jealous of not getting the best player award for Asian Cup 2004?
    I don’t like talking much about this so that people will not think I’m jealous of Nakamoura. However, I do feel like a victim here because I deserved it more than him. But justice was done when I got the 2004 Asian Player Of The Year award. If Nakamura is the best player in Asian Cup 2004 then I am the best player in the whole continent with all its trophies and awards. So I’m better than him.

    You had the chance to be the top scorer of Asian Cup 2004 when you were rewarded a penalty but didn’t take it?
    The coach chooses the penalty taker, and it was chosen to be Ali Daei before the match. Anyways, helping my team is more important than being the top scorer, what is the use of an award when my team gets third of Asia?

    Karimi’s car

    Before he left, we were walking down to his car, it was a BMW 745. He told me that he didn’t go far with this car at all, he shockingly told me “Do you know this car is a 2002 model and didn’t exceed 21,000 kilometer”. I told him how is it possible to run the car only 7,000 kilometers per year?! Al Ahli must have given you another car, but he said “No this is my private car, I don’t like going out much but most of the times I call my friends to take me when I’m out!”. When asked if money was the reason Karimi went to Al Ahli he said “People need a quarter of their money in order to live, but some like spending all of it.”

    Interview trasnlated by IK Correspondent Amir Ansari, UAE, Persian Gulf
     
  12. Ferdosi

    Ferdosi Member

    Oct 6, 2004
  13. Txtriathlete

    Txtriathlete Member

    Aug 6, 2004
    The American Empire
    Nice goal. Nice to see his usual dribbling along with a goal for a change.
     
  14. ShaRule

    ShaRule Member

    May 5, 2005
    Belgium - Iran
    and Karimi scored again! his 3th for bayern!
    FCB-Bonner 2-0 (first half)
    goals:Makaay,Karimi
     
  15. !Bob

    !Bob Member

    Apr 28, 2005
    UK
    Excellent...how long left? If any...
     
  16. Ferdosi

    Ferdosi Member

    Oct 6, 2004
    game ended 4-2.
    karimi scored a header min 31 and ballack subbed him in second half.
     
  17. ShaRule

    ShaRule Member

    May 5, 2005
    Belgium - Iran
    the first goal was an own goal,srry so karimi was the only one who scored for bayern in the first half.
     
  18. Afshin

    Afshin New Member

    Jul 11, 2005
    San Francisco
  19. Parthian

    Parthian New Member

    Jul 1, 2005
    Sagnol hails Karimi as super player

    Bayern Munich Defender Willy Sagnol was full of praise for Iranian Star Midfielder Ali Karimi, branding him a "super player."
    IRIB

    "He (Karimi) is a super player, I like him very much. He always heads for the goal as soon as he has the ball. I like these kinds of players," Sagnol told the Kicker Sports magazine on Monday.

    The French international added he thought Karimi will be successful at the Bundesliga record champions.

    Asian player of the year, who is to play a crucial role in Bayern's offensive game plan, has adapted well to the team's harsh preseason training program, Coach Felix Magath was quoted as saying over the weekend.

    Bayern will open the 2005-6 Bundesliga season at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach on August 5.
     
  20. Afshin

    Afshin New Member

    Jul 11, 2005
    San Francisco
  21. Parthian

    Parthian New Member

    Jul 1, 2005
    IRNA - BERLIN, Ali Karimi has the potential to become Bayern Munich's next playmaker in the coming season, Bayern captain Michael Ballack said in an interview with the kicker sports magazine on Thursday.

    "Ali Karimi could take up such a position. Such a number 10 would make us look good," Germany's player of year said.

    Karimi who according to Bayern coach Felix Magath is to play a crucial role in the team's offensive game plans, will field up as an offensive midfielder backed up by Michael Ballack, English international Owen Hargreaves and Bosnian national team player Hassan Salihamidzic.

    The Asian player of the year made his official debut in Bayern's 2-1 German League Cup semifinal loss against Bundesliga rivals VfB Stuttgart.

    Bayern will open the 2005-6 Bundesliga season at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach on August 5.
     
  22. Parthian

    Parthian New Member

    Jul 1, 2005
    Karimi lives up to Magath's expectations

    http://www.fcbayern.t-com.de/en/news/news/2005/04925.php?fcb_sid=d942647f510254017e1b4e4304dc3187


    29.07.2005

    Back in May, Bayern announced their first new face for the 2005-6 campaign after completing the signing of Iran star Ali Karimi from Dubai outfit Al-Ahli. The 26-year-old, a relative unknown in Europe but named Asian Player of the Year last term, moved on a free transfer and put his name to a one-year deal with an option for a further season.

    Karimi topped Felix Magath's summer wish list after catching the Munich boss's eye some years ago. "He made a name for himself before moving to Dubai. He was always there or thereabouts at the back of my mind," the Bayern coach told fcbayern.de. As the player's contract in the Gulf approached its expiry date, Magath renewed his long-term interest and signalled to the board they should attempt to secure the midfielder's services if at all possible.

    Karimi as versatile attacking option

    Karimi has now spent four weeks in pre-season training with the Munich outfit. "He's already proved he's a quality footballer," Magath declared after fielding the player in a number of attacking positions during Munich's warm-up friendlies. "He's highly versatile up front. He can go left, right, or through the middle," the coach commented. Karimi turned in a lively display down the inside left channel against FC Tokyo, supplying a textbook lay-off for Roy Makaay to open the scoring.

    The achievement is the more creditable for the fact Magath regards the player as exhausted after Bayern's arduous fitness-oriented pre-season programme. Karimi arrived with a reputation as a gifted but erratic performer with a distaste for the hard grind of training. "Pre-season's been especially tough for him as he doesn't have the reserves of strength enjoyed by most of the squad, but he's pulled through," the coach explained.

    Ballack impressed by Karimi's potential

    Karimi would need time to acclimatise to the higher tempo in the German top flight, Magath continued, although the 52-year-old refused to rule out an appearance by the Iran star in next Friday's Bundesliga opener at home to Borussia Monchengladbach: "We'll have to wait and see how long he needs to absorb the demands of our training routines."

    The player's team-mates have recognised the talent embodied by the new arrival. "Once he's up to speed and has a couple of games under his belt, I'm expecting great things of him," vice-captain Michael Ballack declared following the FC Tokyo match. "He'll make us stronger," the Germany playmaker added.
     
  23. Caliguy

    Caliguy New Member

    Apr 27, 2005
    In your pc
    Looks like he is on his way to becoming one of the key players in BM, let hope he pulls true the tough training and secure a place for himself quickly or its going to be a hard year trying to play catch-up.
     
  24. Afshin

    Afshin New Member

    Jul 11, 2005
    San Francisco

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