MADRID – Javier Clemente, former coach of Athletic Bilbao and Spain’s soccer team, has agreed to become the new coach of Iran’s national side for the next three years.

Clemente, who led Athletic to two league titles in the 1980s, had been in talks with the FFI Iranian soccer federation for some weeks, with a major stumbling block apparently being the organisation’s demand that the future coach live in Iran on a permanent basis. It emerged yesterday that the Basque coach will be able to return to Spain between games.

Last year Clemente was fired by Serbia after failing to qualify for the 2008 European Championship.

[Copyright EL PAÍS / Jaume Bauzá Leira 2008]

Subject: Spanish news