Afshin Ghotbi February 8, 1964 (52)

www.afshinghotbi.comafshinghotbi@mac.com

Three World Cups Finals USA and South Korean National Teams

Two Asian Cups Finals Korean and Iranian National Teams

Two World Cup Qualifier Iranian and Curacao National Team

Premier Leagues in Five Nations USA, South Korea, Iran, Japan, Thailand

Education USSF “A” License # 3926, Professional Coaching License Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering, UCLA Innovator in Football Analysis & Technology Presenter, Lecturer, and Motivational Speaker

Languages Fluent: English, Spanish, Farsi Basic Comprehension: Japanese & Korean

Personal US Citizen Married, 2 children

Playing Career University of California, Los Angeles (USA) 1981-1985 Alitalia 1981-1982 Autobahn 1983-1986 Valley Eagles1987 Foothill Flyers 1988-91

Managerial Profile

Shimizu S-Pulse, J.League February 2011-July 2014 2012 Nabisco Cup Finalist 2011 Emperor’s Cup Quarter Finalist

Iran National Team April 2009-January 2011 2011 Asian Cup Quarter Finalist 2011 Asian Cup Qualification 2010 West Asian Cup Finalist 2010 World Cup Qualifiers

Perspolis F.C., IPL August 2007 - November 2008 2007-2008 League Champion 2007-2008 IPL Coach of the Year

Buriram United Thailand Premier League May-August 2016

Coaching Profile

Korea National Team Assistant Coach October 2005 - August 2007 2007 Asian Cup (3rd Place) 2006 World Cup, Germany 2006-07 Olympic Qualification 2006 Asian Games (4th Place)

Los Angeles Galaxy, MLS Assistant Coach September 2004 - September 2005 2005 US Open Cup Champion 2005 MLS Champion

Samsung Bluewings, K League Assistant Coach August 2002-August 2004 2002 FA Cup Champion

Korea National Team Football Analyst January 2001-July 2002 2002 World Cup, South Korea/Japan (4th Position) 2002 Gold Cup 2001 Confederation Cup

USA National Team Technical Staff/Chief Scout December 1997- August 1988 1998 World Cup, France

American Global Soccer School (AGSS) Technical Director/Head Coach April 1988 - December 2001 2002 Nike Coach of the Year Developed Top US International Players Consulting & Cooperating with: USSF (USA), KFA (Korea), CFA (China) Ajax of Amsterdam, Willem II (Netherlands) Chivas Guadalajara, Mexico Master Coach International Sportstec International

Coaching Profile

Valley Eagles (USISL) Head Coach January - December 1997

University California, Los Angeles Women Head Coach 1984-1988 Winning Over 100 Games

La Canada High School Head Coach 1988-1991 Four Time League Champion C.I.F. Champion

References Guus Hiddink Chelsea Manager

Dick Advocaat Former Sunderland Manager

Pim Verbeek Former Australia & Korea National Team Coach

Bora Milutinovic Former Mexico, USA, Costa Rica, Nigeria & China National Team Coach

Steve Sampson Former USA & Costa Rica National Team Coach

Coached Players Such as:

Freddie Ljungberg - Former Arsenal & Sweden International

Park Ji-Sung - Former Manchester United & South Korean International

Shinji Ono - Former Feyenoord & Japanese International

Milivoje Novakovic - Former FC Koln & Slovenian International

Landon Donovan - LA Galaxy, Former Everton & USA International

Ali Karimi - Former F.C. Bayern Munich & Iranian International

Dejan Jakovic- Former Red Star Belgrade, DC United, & Canadian International

John O’Brien - Former Ajax of Amsterdam & USA International

Alex Brosque - Sydney FC & Australian International

Afshin Ghotbi has been to three World Cups, won league titles in front of 110,000 fans and worked with some of the best coaches and players in the business.

Beginning coaching at the age of 14 in California, Ghotbi helped develop some of the best American players and placing them in professional football and leagues around the world, including John O’Brien at Ajax of Amsterdam. Bora Milutinovic, who has led five teams to the World Cup, challenged Ghotbi to become an international coach.

Ghotbi’s forward thinking and qualities caught the eyes of Steve Sampson, the coach of the United States and earned him a journey to France 1998 World Cup as part of his backroom staff. It was here where he realised many things, including the role of technology in football coaching.

He became a pioneer in the modernization of football creating tactical models and images to communicate and organize teams swiftly and effectively using the newest computer technology.

A call followed from Guus Hiddink in 2000 and Ghotbi was part of the coaching staff as South Korea went to the semifinals. Four years later, he was an assistant to Dick Advocaat at the 2006 tournament.After working with Pim Verbeek with South Korea at the 2007 Asian Cup, Ghotbi was hired as head coach by Asia's biggest club, Persepolis in Iran. In May 2008, he led the team to its only league title in 14 years, succeeding where many renowned world names -Arie Haan, Mustafa Denizili, Zlatko Kranjcar etc- had failed.

He was then hired to rescue Iran's faltering 2010 World Cup qualification campaign. With three games remaining in eleven days, one in North Korea, one in South Korea and one in Tehran -in front of a combined crowd of 270,000 people -Iran collected five points but just missed out. The games were played out against the background of mass protests in Iran following the 2011 presidential elections.

Ghotbi stayed on to lead the team to the quarter-finals of the 2011 Asian Cup, bringing in new players and laying the foundations for Iran's qualification for the 2014 World Cup under Carlos Queiroz.

Since then, he has been with J.League team Shimizu S-Pulse, keeping the team in the upper reaches of mid-table despite having one of the smallest budgets in Japan. Not only that, Ghotbi was the only foreign manager who stayed in Japan after the nuclear radiation threat that resulted from the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, feeling that the people needed strong leadership, hope and encouragement.

Ghotbi parted company with Shimizu in July 2014, after becoming just the seventh foreign coach in J.League history to start his fourth season with the same club.

A Brief Biography…