Iran World Cup midfielder to move to Bolton

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
July 26, 2006 Wednesday 8:22 PM EST

DPA SPORTS Football Iran Iran World Cup midfielder to move to Bolton
Tehran Iran midfielder Andranik Teymourian – the only Christian on an
otherwise Muslim national team – is moving to English Premier League
club Bolton Wanderers, the ISNA news agency reported Wednesday.

The 23-year old Iranian-Armenian, widely known as Ando, will leave
the Abu Moslem club in Mashad, northeastern Iran, and play in England
next season, ISNA said.

Ando was among his side’s best at this year’s World Cup, where Iran
lost two games and drew one, dropping out in the group stage.

ISNA said Abu Moslem president Nasser Shafaq confirmed the transfer
and said that the Bolton manager would come to Iran next week to
finalise the contact.

After Karim Baqeri, who played for Charlton Athletic in the 2000- 2001
season, Ando would be the second Iranian to play in the Premier League.

He was the second Iranian-Armenian to play for Iran in a World Cup
final round.

In 1978, defender Andranik Eskandarian played at the World Cup in
Argentina. He was signed by New York Cosmos to play with football
legends such as Franz Beckenbauer and Pele.