Adeli: Playing at the World Cup was humungous

Shervin Adeli sprinted wildly, dodging bodies like David Campese, before jumping into the air, punching it viciously and letting out an enduring, ear-splitting scream. It was a crazy celebration indicative of the craziest 121 seconds of his career on grass pitches or rubberised courts.

Australia’s quest to reach a first AFC Futsal Asian Cup since 2016 was all but over. They trailed Chinese Taipei in Taipei City with little over two minutes left. Adeli, however, had turned up not only in a green-and-gold jersey, but also a superhero’s cape.

First, he slammed home an equaliser. Then, with only 16 seconds on the clock, the 31-year-old robbed the ball back, side-stepped an opponent, played a one-two and slid home the winner. The Futsalroos were off the Asian finals.

There, Australia will attempt to seize one of four tickets to the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™. Adeli speaks to FIFA about that mission, his Iranian background and playing against Falcao at Colombia 2016.

You’re an Iranian-Australian. How big was futsal for you growing up?
Shervin Adeli: Futsal’s huge in Iran. Having an Iranian background, futsal came naturally. It came down from my dad, my family. Small-sided football was big for them and I was playing it from a young age. I think my Iranian background had a big impact in getting me to where I am today.

You grew up playing futsal with Daniel Arzani, right?
We’re family friends. He’s obviously got an Iranian background as well. Us kids and our parents, every week we would meet up at the park and play. It was great fun. He’s gone on to have great career in football, and I think futsal has helped him become the type of player he is.

Australia were two minutes away from missing out on the AFC Futsal Asian Cup. How did it feel to score two last-gasp goals against Chinese Taipei and qualify the Futsalroos?
Every player has a role. Myself being a senior player, I had to play my role at that moment. It was my time to step up. Futsal games are never over. We always had belief. I couldn’t be happier. We’re off to the Asian Cup now and it’s very exciting for all of us.

You avoided Iran and Japan. What do you think of Australia’s group at the Asian Cup?
Iran and Japan are obviously the top two teams, but when you play in the Asian Cup, you’re always going to come up against top teams. Hopefully we’ll get to test ourselves against Iran and Japan. We want to get out of the group. If we get to where we want to get to, I’m sure we’ll end up playing them. We want to get back to the World Cup. I believe in it. We believe in it. We’ve had a lot more games, a lot more preparation than usual. I think that’s definitely helped us a lot. We’re focusing on Uzbekistan. We’ll take it game by game, but the target is to be in the top four.

What was the experience like of representing Australia at the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 2016?
It was unbelievable. Playing at a FIFA World Cup is humungous. I’m really grateful to have been a part of that. You come up against the best teams in the world. You see how they play, how they prepare, how they approach games. It was really eye-opening. It was a huge learning process. I loved everything about the World Cup. It’s something I think all of us will remember for the rest of our lives. We got a win in our first game, which was amazing, and we got to play against Brazil and Falcao. It was amazing to see Falcao live on the court, to learn off players like that. Being at the World Cup leaves you wanting to experience it again. We haven’t been at the World Cup since 2016. We’ll do everything we can to get back to that stage.

How far do you think Iran are off winning the World Cup?
They’re always pushing, always in the top four in the world rankings. They made the semis a few World Cups ago. For me, I always have an interest in them, I’m always watching them, supporting them. I think they’re close. They’ve got a really good generation of players coming through. They have a really strong league in Iran. With World Cups, it’s just clicking at the right time. They can beat anyone on their day. We’ve seen teams winning the World Cup for the first time recently. I definitely think Iran have what it takes to win it this year.

I know playing against Iran many years ago was a special experience for you. How would it feel to play against them in the World Cup?
It was really special. It was obviously mixed emotions playing against my family’s home country, but it was really enjoyable. I got to talk to them, mingle with them after the match and back at the hotel. That was really fun and exciting for me. Obviously at the World Cup, the stakes are much higher. It would be a dream.

You were outstanding against Chinese Taipei and on the last tour, scoring five times in the final game against Solomon Islands. Do you think you’re in the best form of your career?
I’m feeling good. I’m one of the most experienced members of the team. I think as you get older you get smarter. I think you have a better understanding of the game, put yourself in better positions, think quicker. I’m feeling really confident, my body feels really good. We’ve got some really good players who have come into the squad. We all bring the best out of each other.

You also play 11-a-side. Is it hard to switch between sports?
Most of the Futsalroos train three nights a week with their football club. We have a double session of futsal on a Sunday. [Football] Physios, coaches and clubs are very supportive. They know futsal means a lot to us. With the Asian Cup coming up, it’s taking priority. It is hard to transition from football to futsal.

Can you tell us about the initiations for players coming into the Futsalroos squad?
What everyone looks forward to is the debutants coming in camps. We get them to sing, make them really uncomfortable. We all have a good laugh about it. Every one is as funny as the last one.