International Career
Rahman Rezaei made his first appearance for Iran in July 2001 against Bosnia. He has been the most consistent defender for the team ever since.
In European football, Rahman Rezaei is considered a solid defender well inclined to launch devastating counter attacks. However his role is different in the Iranian national football team, where he is a straight defensive centre back. He was formerly a forward, but has proved to be an indispensable defensive stalwart for an Iranian side considered top-heavy in attacking players.
He was among the key players for Iran in World Cup 2006, but he did not perform as well as everyone had hoped. He received some criticism following a couple mistakes which led to goals being scored against the team.
On April 6, 2007 Rezaei stated he will retire from international football after the 2007 Asian Cup., but in another interview in December 2007 he expressed his intention to return to the national team. Rezaei was given his #5 jersey and was selected for Team Melli's 2010 World Cup Qualification matches.
| Iran national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2001 | 16 | 0 |
| 2002 | 3 | 1 |
| 2003 | 5 | 0 |
| 2004 | 10 | 0 |
| 2005 | 6 | 1 |
| 2006 | 8 | 1 |
| 2007 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 54 | 3 |
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