Saeid Khodarahmi sits before the microphones, his English fragmented but his message rock solid. The Iranian coach of the Bangladesh women’s futsal team makes one thing abundantly clear. He tolerates no interference, from anyone, on team selection.
“Big name is not important for me,” Khodarahmi states. “Important is only Allah for me. If I make mistake in selection, I must give answer to Allah.” This is his uncompromising creed. He frames every decision as a matter of personal faith and ultimate accountability.
He takes his principle to its starkest conclusion. “Even if the Vice-President comes and says, ‘play him, he is playing good,’ I will not listen. Because the decision is mine.” It is a staggering line in the sand, a public declaration of war on the backroom whispers and political nudges that so often plague the game.
This rigid stance already sparked a fiery clash with the Futsal Committee President, Mr. Imran. Khodarahmi does not shy from the details. “We had many meetings about player selection. At one stage, we had a hot discussion,” he admits. The coach delivered an ultimatum. “I said clearly, if you force me on selection, I will buy a one-way ticket to my country. I will not stay here.”
He understands the practical challenge. Converting veteran eleven-a-side footballers into futsal players in one month is a monumental task. “You cannot change 15 years of habit in one month. It becomes raw work,” he explains. He sees a systemic issue, arguing nations must develop dedicated futsal players from youth levels.
For now, he fights his battles with the tools he has. He promises nothing but total effort from himself and his staff. “We are trying 100 percent. Keep trust on us.” In a landscape often murky with favour and influence, Saeid Khodarahmi’s position is strikingly, stubbornly clear. His team. His conscience. No exceptions.
