Zandi to depart from Kaiserslautern?
by Martin Reza Babry
PFDC - KAISERSLAUTERN, Iranian midfielder Fereydoon Zandi could be one of several players leaving FC Kaiserslautern during the winter break.
After the Cup tie against FSV Mainz tonight, recently appointed coach Wolfgang Wolf, who suffered three losses and achieved one victory since his appointment, will release a list of players not needed by him anymore. Zandi, twice not even in the roster for Bundesliga matches under Wolf, is tipped to be on that list beside Cameroon defender Lucien Mettomo, German midfielders Jochen Seitz and Thomas Riedl, as well as several other players.
FC Kaiserslautern currently stand on bottom of German Bundesliga, two points behind a non-relegation spot.
Fereydoon Zandi, who had started his professional career at SC Freiburg, had convinced at Vfb Luebeck in German second Bundesliga, before joining FC Kaiserslautern under Austrian coach Kurt Jara in 2004, who had forced the transfer of the Iranian playmaker. With Jara in charge, Kaiserslautern easily escaped relegation and Zandi booked six goals and seven assists during the 2004/05 Bundesliga season. However, shortly after Jara had announced not to extend his contract with the club after disputes with Kaiserslautern's fans in early 2005, he was released and replaced by interim coach Werner Moser for the last seven games of the season.
Already with Moser in charge, Zandi got less and less playing time. For the 2005/06 season Michael Henke, Ottmar Hitzfeld's former assistant at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, was hired as headcoach. Henke, however, mainly put his trust in newly signed playmaker Erwin Skela, despite the Albanian only occassionally performed convincingly. The situation didn't improve for Zandi when Henke was finally replaced by Worlfgang Wolf in November. The leftfooter overall appeared 13 times this season (11 Bundesliga matches, two Cup matches) and only booked two assists (one in Bundesliga, one in Cup) and one goal (Cup).
Should Zandi indeed leave the club, Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg, who are coached by Kurt Jara and are in search of a playmaker, or second Bundesliga side Alemannia Aachen, with Zandi's former coach at Luebeck Dieter Hecking in charge, could possibly be interested in the 26-year-old.
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