{"id":2986,"date":"2022-11-15T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/?p=2986"},"modified":"2026-09-25T11:18:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T01:48:43","slug":"from-heartbreak-to-stardom-portugal-defines-the-rise-of-mehdi-taremi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/ro\/from-heartbreak-to-stardom-portugal-defines-the-rise-of-mehdi-taremi\/","title":{"rendered":"From heartbreak to stardom: Portugal defines the rise of Mehdi Taremi"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-vertically-aligned-center\" style=\"grid-template-columns:20% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1290\" height=\"391\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SMC-Logo-and-Sub-Brand-Logos-SEP-01-22-V1_SMC-scaled.jpg?resize=1290%2C391&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2761 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SMC-Logo-and-Sub-Brand-Logos-SEP-01-22-V1_SMC-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SMC-Logo-and-Sub-Brand-Logos-SEP-01-22-V1_SMC-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C91&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SMC-Logo-and-Sub-Brand-Logos-SEP-01-22-V1_SMC-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C310&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SMC-Logo-and-Sub-Brand-Logos-SEP-01-22-V1_SMC-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C233&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SMC-Logo-and-Sub-Brand-Logos-SEP-01-22-V1_SMC-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C465&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/SMC-Logo-and-Sub-Brand-Logos-SEP-01-22-V1_SMC-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C620&amp;ssl=1 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1290px) 100vw, 1290px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p style=\"font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.234), 17px);\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>The Asian Game&#8217;s coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is proudly sponsored by SMC.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"it-was-a-moment-that-broke-iranian-hearts-deep-into-injury-time-with-the-scores-level-between-iran-and-portugal-sardar-azmoun-nods-a-long-punt-forward-towards-saman-ghoddos-whose-attempted-shot-is-deflected-into-the-path-of-mehdi-taremi\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">It was a moment that broke Iranian hearts. Deep into injury time, with the scores level between Iran and Portugal, Sardar Azmoun nods a long punt forward towards Saman Ghoddos, whose attempted shot is deflected into the path of Mehdi Taremi.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eight yards from goal and with just Rui Patricio to beat, the World Cup hopes of both nations hang in the balance. It\u2019s so late in the game that a goal now will give Iran victory over Fernando Santos\u2019 side and take Team Melli into the knockout rounds for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a flash the ball is past the Portuguese goalkeeper. The first-time shot from the Al Gharafa striker ripples the net but, rather than sending Taremi, his team mates and 85 million people in Iran into raptures, the effort has gone the wrong side of the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heartache for Iran means relief for Portugal as the reigning European champions advance to the next round while Carlos Queiroz and his team are left in tears on the turf, booking their flights back to Tehran and thinking about what might have been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The miss looked to be another unfortunate incident in a career that was beginning to look like it might be blighted by bad luck and poor decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Six months earlier, with interest from clubs in Europe, Taremi had decided to move to the Qatar Stars League after an earlier switch to Turkish side Caykur Rizespor had fallen through in acrimonious circumstances which saw him handed a four-month ban by FIFA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a player who had proven to be prolific at Persepolis after starting his career at hometown side Shahin Bushehr before a two-season stint at Iranjavan, there was a growing sense Taremi was at risk of frittering away a promising career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"720\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1280 \/ 720;\" width=\"1280\" controls src=\"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/hJj4Tq53T3qFzcu2.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was another year, following the conclusion of his contract with Al Gharafa, before Portugal again loomed large for Taremi. Unfashionable Rio Ave, based in Vila do Conde in the north of the country, was the destination as he signed for a club that had established itself in the top flight a decade earlier having bounced between divisions for much of their early existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a low-key move for a player who had turned 26 in the weeks before, but his performances in his first weeks made Portuguese football sit up and take notice. Before long, questions were being asked about how a side like Rio Ave could unearth a player of the Iranian\u2019s talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A hat-trick on his debut against C.D. Aves gave fans a glimpse of his ability in front of goal, but it was his performance in a 3-2 win over Sporting CP weeks later that caught the eye of the country\u2019s leading clubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taremi tormented Sporting\u2019s Uruguay international defender Sebastian Coates to win a hat-trick of penalties from the former Liverpool central defender, eventually earning his opponent a pair of yellow cards as Rio Ave notched up a late 3-2 victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ahead of the winter transfer window Rio Ave were already fielding inquiries from the biggest clubs in the country. Sporting had an attempt to sign Taremi knocked back by the player, who instead agreed in principal to join Benfica for a fee of around 4.5 million euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The arrival of Jorge Jesus as coach at the Estadio da Luz, following his Copa Libertadores-winning spell with Brazil\u2019s Flamengo, scuppered those plans, with the former Al Hilal coach deciding against taking on Taremi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Benfica signing Darwin Nunez from Almeria, Porto swooped. By the time they snapped up the striker at the end of his first season, Taremi had finished the campaign as the league\u2019s joint-leading scorer with 18 goals as Rio Ave finished fifth, equalling their best-ever finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was to prove an astute move and neither Taremi nor his new employers have looked back since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"tr\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udd35\u26aa Mehdi Taremi \ud83d\udc09<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/FCPorto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FCPorto<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/Na%C3%A7%C3%A3oPorto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Na\u00e7\u00e3oPorto<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/WelcomeTaremi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#WelcomeTaremi<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MehdiTaremi9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@MehdiTaremi9<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GG3z8SoNCm\">pic.twitter.com\/GG3z8SoNCm<\/a><\/p>&mdash; FC Porto (@FCPorto) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FCPorto\/status\/1300549994030784513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 31, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen he came to Portugal at first, we were all impressed at how such a player ended up at Rio Ave,\u201d says leading Portuguese football writer Sergio Krithinas. \u201cWe didn\u2019t expect them to have such a good player, and especially because he wasn\u2019t a young player. He was a top player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was probably the best deal ever for Porto, they paid around 4 million euros for him. It was like a steal. Porto got an astonishing player, really smart in the box but can also play wide and deep. He\u2019s a very good team player, he pressures opponents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That pressure is exerted not only on opposing players, with Taremi\u2019s ability forcing referees into game-changing decisions over whether or not to award penalties seeing him become a divisive figure in Portuguese football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the last three seasons he was been awarded 18 spot-kicks \u2013 seven more than his closest rival in the Primeira Liga \u2013 with his record leading fans of other teams to castigate the 30-year-old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRivals keep calling him a diver, a cheater,\u201d says Krithinas. \u201cHe was sent off in the recent Atletico Madrid game in the UEFA Champions League and the second yellow card was for trying to get a penalty. But he\u2019s much more than someone who wins penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s really smart, when he dribbles against a defender or a goalkeeper and how he positions the ball and uses his body. He makes things happen. You can\u2019t say he\u2019s a diver, but you know he will look for a foul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two years since moving to the Estadio de Dragao, Taremi is now firmly established while continuing to improve. He scored 23 times in 48 games in all competitions in his first season, including 16 in the league and his first two in the UEFA Champions League. His strike in the quarter-finals against Chelsea, a stunning overhead kick, was voted the continental competition\u2019s goal of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Mehdi-Taremi.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3027\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Mehdi-Taremi-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Mehdi-Taremi-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Mehdi-Taremi-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Mehdi-Taremi-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Mehdi-Taremi-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Mehdi-Taremi-scaled.jpg?resize=678%2C381&amp;ssl=1 678w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He continued that form in his second year with the club with 26 goals in 48 games while this season he\u2019s on course to outstrip those statistics, netting 13 times in 18 games so far, with five coming in five games in the UEFA Champions League.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taremi\u2019s performances have seen him establish himself as one of the most clinical finishers in European football, prompting speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUnder (Porto coach) Sergio Conceicao he has become a much better player outside the box, in the sense that if he doesn\u2019t score he can still make a very good performance,\u201d says Krithinas. \u201cRight now he has lots of games when he doesn\u2019t score but he\u2019s still one of the best players in the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is all a long way from that miss, deep into injury time in the final group game in Russia when Taremi\u2019s goal-scoring instincts briefly and agonisingly deserted him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s never been mentioned in Portugal,\u201d Krithinas says of the opportunity that would have knocked Taremi\u2019s future home out of the World Cup. \u201cIf he had joined Porto direct people might have paid attention to that game, but he joined a very small club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe could go anywhere and be a success. He doesn\u2019t behave like a star, he\u2019s a humble player who knows his place in a squad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This month\u2019s World Cup in Qatar will offer the opportunity for redemption for the talismanic Taremi; four years older, wiser and finally fulfilling the potential after more than three seasons in his Portuguese finishing school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Photo:<\/strong> FC Porto<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Listen to <strong>The Asian Game Podcast<\/strong> as we preview Japan ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/theasiangame\/TAG_WC_Preview_Japan.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Asian Game&#8217;s coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is proudly sponsored by SMC. It was a moment that broke Iranian hearts. Deep into injury time, with the scores level between Iran and Portugal, Sardar Azmoun nods a long punt forward towards Saman Ghoddos, whose attempted shot is deflected into the path of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":2988,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_gspb_post_css":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[94,72,314],"class_list":["post-2986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-fifa-world-cup","tag-iran","tag-qatar-2022"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>From heartbreak to stardom: Portugal defines the rise of Mehdi Taremi - The Asian Game<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/ro\/from-heartbreak-to-stardom-portugal-defines-the-rise-of-mehdi-taremi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ro_RO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From heartbreak to stardom: Portugal defines the rise of Mehdi Taremi - The Asian Game\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Asian Game&#8217;s coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is proudly sponsored by SMC. It was a moment that broke Iranian hearts. 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