Seyed Jalal Talebi (Persian: جلال طالبی; born 23 March 1942) is a retired Iranian professional footballer and manager. He is best known for serving as the head coach of the Iran national football team during the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Early Life and Playing Career
Talebi was born in Tehran, Iran. He played as a midfielder for Daraei (1960–1964) and Taj SC, now known as Esteghlal (1964–1971). He earned 15 caps for the Iran national team between 1964 and 1971, scoring one goal. He represented Iran in three matches at the 1964 Summer Olympics and was part of the squad that won the 1968 AFC Asian Cup. A meniscus injury ended his playing career at age 27.
Managerial Career
Talebi attended the Chelsea coaching school in England between 1971 and 1973. He coached the Iran national under-20 football team from 1976 to 1978. He also coached soccer at De Anza Community College in California.
He was appointed head coach of the Iran national team ahead of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, replacing Tomislav Ivic. Under his leadership, Iran played a historic and emotionally charged match against the United States, which Iran won 2–1. He stepped down after the tournament in August 1998 but returned to lead the team again during the 2000 AFC Asian Cup in Lebanon, resigning after Iran's elimination.
Talebi also managed Geylang United of the S.League (1996, winning the league and Singapore FA Cup), the Indonesian Olympic team (1996–1997), the Syria national football team (2001–2002), and Al Taliya (2005–2006).
Personal Life
Talebi moved to the United States in 1983 and became a naturalized American citizen. He resides in Palo Alto, California, with his wife and three sons.
Honours
As a Player:
- Daraei: Tehran Championship (1961)
- Taj (Esteghlal): Iranian League (1970–71), Tehran Championship (1970, 1971), Asian Club Championship (1970)
- Iran: AFC Asian Cup (1968)
As a Manager:
- Geylang United: S.League (1996), Singapore FA Cup (1996)
- Iran: West Asian Football Federation Championship (2000)
