TEHRAN – Hossein Abdi has stepped down as head coach of Iran’s U23 national team following the team’s return from the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, taking responsibility for the heavy defeat against North Korea.
Iran’s U23 team returned home on Friday morning after being eliminated in the group stage of the Asian Games in Nagoya. Shortly after arriving in Iran, Abdi spoke to reporters at the airport about his team’s performance and the reasons behind the disappointing campaign.
Abdi pointed to difficulties in securing the release of players and challenges related to the planning of training camps. However, he stressed that despite these issues, he accepted responsibility for the technical consequences of the heavy defeat to North Korea.
Describing the match as an “unusual” game, Abdi revealed that his resignation had been discussed even before the tournament. However, the coaching staff ultimately decided to remain with the team and see the competition through.
The former Iran U23 head coach also said that by submitting his resignation, he was giving the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee the opportunity to make decisions regarding the future of the team ahead of June.
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