Former Portugal and Real Madrid manager is new coach of Iran

Carlos Queiroz takes up a three-year contract to guide the country's fortunes upto the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

TEHRAN // Iran says they have appointed former Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz as their national coach.

The official IRNA news agency said Queiroz has a three-year contract that will takeg him through to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The deal, details of which were not given, also involves him supervising Iran's under-23 and youth sides.

Queiroz is a former coach of Real Madrid and also had two stints as Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United.

Iran has been without a head coach since January, when Afshin Qotbi's contract expired after Iran's dismal performance in the Asian Cup.

The website of state English news network Press TV said in a separate report Queiroz would receive an annual salary of about $2 million.

Queiroz looked to have reached an agreement in February to coach the side, even appointing his assistants, but turned the post down reportedly because his family were reluctant to live in Iran.

Queiroz told Portugal's national news agency Lusa he expected to iron out a few remaining details with Iranian authorities by the end of today.

"Almost all the outstanding formalities for me to take charge for the next three and a half years have been overcome," he was quoted as saying.

He said Iran "has good players, resources, passion and a desire to be at the World Cup in Brazil, and that coincides with my goals."

Iran has qualified for World Cup three times: in 1978 in Argentina, in 1998 in France and in 2006 in Germany.

Iran have slipped down the pecking order in Asian football behind heavyweights Japan, South Korea and Australia, with many blaming the country's sports authorities for the slide.

Iran missed the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and were knocked out of the 2011 Asian Cup in the quarter-finals by South Korea in January.