Hossein Abdi has stepped down as the head coach of the Iran U23 national team following the team's return from the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya. He took responsibility for the team's heavy defeat against North Korea.
The Iran U23 team returned home on Friday morning, having been eliminated from the group stage of the Asian Games in Nagoya. Shortly after arriving in Iran, Abdi gave an interview to reporters at the airport regarding his team's results and the reasons for the unsuccessful campaign.
Abdi pointed to difficulties in obtaining player participation permits and issues related to planning training camps. Nevertheless, he emphasized that despite these challenges, he accepts responsibility for the technical consequences of the heavy defeat against North Korea.
Describing the match as an 'unusual' game, Abdi stated that his resignation had been discussed even before the tournament began. However, the coaching staff ultimately decided to stay with the team and complete their participation in the competition.
The former head coach of the Iran U23 also stated that by resigning, he gives the Ministry of Sport and the National Olympic Committee the opportunity to decide on the team's future until June.