Stefano Cusin is the coach of Shahr Khodrou, the Persian Gulf Pro League club, based in the city of Mashhad, Iran.
Cusin and his team will restart their 2019/20 season in the Persian Gulf Pro League on Sunday.
It is no secret that Iran was struck hard by the global coronavirus pandemic. While the country is still facing the outcomes of COVID-19, the Iranian league restarted on Wednesday evening with the match between Esteghlal and Foolad. The 22nd matchday will take place on Sunday. Shahr Khodrou will play against Zob Ahan, and the Italian coach, who is working in the Middle East for years, took the time to speak with BabaGol before the return of Iranian football from the coronavirus break.
Worked in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Palestine and now Iran. Cusin, at the famous Azadi Stadium (Archive)
Coach! Congratulations on coming back to some normality. You are in Mashhad at the moment. What is the situation there now?
Yes, I am back in Mashhad. I am delighted to be here. The situation is a bit strange. We take all the precautions, the players are a bit scared, which is normal, but we are trying to focus on football because on Sunday the league restarts.
How do you see the league restarting? Administratively the set up is ready?
Shahr Khodrou is ready. It is a good club, and the system will give 100% to make it a successful comeback.
I know there is a dispute among clubs and the federation about restarting the league. What are the arguments for each side?
The federation says: “We must follow what's happening in the world, we must restart and finish the season”. The clubs are saying “Ok, but what is the logic to restart just for nine games after a three month break, as each club has their financial concerns?”. They are afraid of the chance of restarting and then be caught again by the virus.
What are the medical conditions you work at this time? Are you in a group-isolation format?
The tests are running weekly, for everyone - players, staff, officials. Everything is immaculate and sanitized. For me, you can't do more than this - after all, it's football, and football is a 'contact sport'. We will learn and improve on the go with this situation.
Is it a good thing to restart the league in this situation?
In my opinion, there is no sense to restart the league now. I mean, the situation is not 100% sure. It's too hot to train and play, and without fans, for what and for who we are playing? It's just economic interest to restart the season. For me, it was better to end the league and start preparing for next season.
Football without fans is...?
Football without fans is nonsense. All the things we do in this game is for them, the fans. When you score a goal, 25,000 people and you feel the power. The blood of football is the fans. Without them, the game will die. I know some presidents and officials say: "It's ok, we must play". But it's not fine. A big stadium without fans is like a Ferrari without fuel.
It’s probably hard to restart a season in the middle of the summer. In what condition did you find the team and the players when you came back?
For more than a month and a half we worked in remote conditions. Most live in apartments, and they didn't run like they used to during the routine, so now we are more focused on aerobic - to prevent injuries as much as we can. We played a few friendlies. The players were fit at the beginning for 30 minutes, then 75, and eventually they will be fully ready for the 90 minutes. Only game-time can prepare and set the players at the right conditions.
It's probably like starting a new season now, no? What are the goals of Shahr in the remainder of 2019/20 season?
Our goal is the same like before the virus: we fight for another qualification for the AFC Champions League. We must finish in one of the first three spots in the Persian Gulf Pro League. Then we have four matches left to play in the Champions League. We will use these games to restart and think positive as a team - exactly like it was before the break.
“A big stadium without fans is like a Ferrari without fuel. ”
Before the pandemic, you kicked off an AFC Champions League campaign in a tough group, with two losses. What did you take from those games that you think the team can improve for the next matches with clubs from the caliber of Al-Hilal and Pakhtakor? What do you need to improve?
For Shahr Khodrou it was the first time in the Champions League, so of course, it is a hard task. We didn't play an easy team. It was the best team in Asia. Al-Hilal won the tournament in the last term, and we played a great game, and although I don't like to make excuses - we were unlucky! You must understand that if you want to improve, you must play clubs at this level. Pakhtakor is a different story, and I believe that in Iran, we will beat them. Our test will be against Al-Ahli Dubai. Then we will understand if we are ready for the next stage.
Iran is the fourth country you work at in the Middle East. Is it fair to say you love the region?
I started in Saudi Arabia ten years ago. Afterwards I was in the UAE with Al-Naser Dubai and enjoyed it a lot; In Palestine it was a great time. Now I’m thrilled to be in Iran. For me, it's one of the best leagues in Asia. Stadiums, fans, talent, so for me it's a top league. I am always looking for a project that can impact people, and every time I was in Iran for football, I understood there is potential to build something important here. But it's not only the Middle East. I always look for challenges in football. It's what keeps me going anywhere in the world.
Recent times make everyone spend time at home and think. What did you learn or what new football ideas came up to your mind during the coronavirus era?
In usual times I think about football 365 days a year. It was also time to spend time with my son and my family with a clear mind which is a massive privilege for someone who works abroad all year.
At last, what can we expect from Shahr Khodrou and Stefano Cusin in the final nine games of Persian Gulf Pro League?
We are going to fight and give our best, especially for our fans that can't come to the stadium now. When I am in the city they always ask me: "Coach, coach, please win the game". Only God knows in which place we will finish, but we will give our best to qualify for the AFC Champions League. It's a big challenge as it is a new era for the club, but I am a fighter, and my players are also fighters, so inshallah we will achieve it. It's our dream.
“It’s a big challenge but we are fighters”, Cusin with Shahr Khodrou’s coaching staff (Archive)
