Mahdavikia parted ways with Hamburg club
Mehdi Mahdavikia, the Asian Player of the Year 2003, has left the Hamburg club after 9 years of activity in the youth ranks for the team.
The club announced the departure of the Iranian football star and expressed gratitude for his contributions, stating that Mahdavikia will now focus on the Kia Football Academy in Dubai.
In 2021, Mahdavikia was the head coach of Iran’s national under-23 team, but the Iranian Football Federation did not renew his contract following a controversy in a symbolic FIFA match in Qatar.
This match was held in December 2021 between World Stars and Arab countries, and on the players’ jerseys, including Mahdavikia’s, the flags of various countries, including Israel, were featured.
This issue sparked a strong reaction from some parliament members and government-affiliated media, including the Kayhan newspaper.