Persepolis Goalkeeper Beiranvand Focused to Win AFC Champions League
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Persepolis goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand is going to help his side win the 2018 AFC Champions League.
The Iranian football team will play Japan’s Kashima Antlers on Saturday's final first leg .
Beiranvand showed that in the second leg of the semi-final against Qatar's Al Sadd.
“[Ahmadreza Abedzadeh and Nasser Hejazi] are great goalkeepers that I have learned a lot from,” said Beiranvand, whose heroic performance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia brought him to global fame, especially when he saved a penalty kick from Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I can never be like them. Hejazi was a great man, known for respecting moral values. I have always learned from him. And I like Abedzadeh a lot; his son is also my teammate in the national team,” Beiranvand said in an interview with the-afc.
Beiranvand could, however, achieve a feat that none of the two greats of Iranian goalkeeping did, if he is to become the AFC Player of the Year. His performances over the past 12 months have, arguably, put him in contention for the November award.
“It would be a big honor for me and my country if I can make it. I hope it happens, because it has always been one of my wishes in life. If I can win this award, I will enjoy it for years to come,” said the Iranian international goalkeeper.
Having spent his entire career so far playing for Naft Tehran then Persepolis, Beiranvand’s performances over the year would have certainly attracted interest from Europe, where many of Iran’s finest footballers ply their trade, but he is postponing any talk of a European switch until after the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
“After the World Cup, my concentration was only on Persepolis, because I was really concerned with the problems they had. I want to become AFC Champions League champion with Persepolis, then I will concentrate on the AFC Asian Cup. I would really like to be the best goalkeeper in Asia with Iran in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
“After that I will have enough time to think about any offers, but as I always said, I would like to play for a big club in Europe if I leave Iran one day,” he added.