Persepolis Striker Taremi Targets AFC Champions League Title

Persepolis will host Al Rayyan of Qatar in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium in Group D of the competition on Monday.

With just four fixtures remaining in the 2016-2017 Iran Professional League season, Taremi and Persepolis football team are focused on glory at a continental level.

 “We have our AFC Champions League targets at Persepolis and we hope to achieve them. The number one target is to qualify for the knockout stage and the second is to win the AFC Champions League,” Taremi told the-afc.

It has been 24 years since an Iranian side was crowned Asian king and seven years since one reached the final [Zob Ahan in 2010] and Persepolis would dearly love to start lowering the deficit of continental titles that exists between it and fierce city rival Esteghlal, who is two-time champion.

“The first time I was in the AFC Champions League [2015] it was more difficult to me. There was a lot of pressure on me as I’d joined a big club in Persepolis at the beginning of the 2014-2015 season and my form was suffering,” said Taremi.

“I wasn’t able to deal with the attention and expectation placed upon me and my confidence dropped. But now, because I’ve been in the senior national team setup for one year, I have much more confidence. I’ve been working with [Iran coach] Carlos Queiroz a lot and that has had a big impact on me,” the striker added.

“That good experience has allowed me to transfer the confidence from the national team into my club form in the domestic championship and the AFC Champions League,” Taremi said.