Brazil's soccer legend Pele will not travel to Iran for the Tehran derby between Esteqlal and Persepolis, the Reds' chief has said.

"We had talks with Pele to bring him to Iran, but he asked for $350,000 which we cannot afford," said the chief of Persepolis' board of directors, Hossein Hedayati.

Persepolis' assistant coach Marco Antonio Alvarez had earlier said that the club had asked Pele to travel to Iran to watch a match between Esteqlal and Persepolis in Tehran's Azadi stadium.

Hedayati said Persepolis cannot not spend 'such money' given its current financial obligations.

According to Iran's Premier League schedule, Esteqlal and Persepolis will hold the Tehran derby in the ninth day of the current season of Iran's Premier League.

AKM/AA/BGH