Iran coach – Iran’s coach Amir Ghalenoei said FIFA president Gianni Infantino must “stand up” to the United States after Iran’s team complained about how they were treated during the World Cup. Iran’s frustrations follow a tense Group G draw with Egypt in Seattle, and rela
In the wake of a late twist in Seattle, Iran’s head coach did not focus on what he couldn’t change. He focused on what he believes should never be allowed to happen again.
Amir Ghalenoei. speaking in his post-match press conference. said FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino must “stand up” to the US after he reiterated his belief that the co-hosts treated his team “very unfairly.” Iran’s frustrations go beyond the draw itself. After their Group G opener against New Zealand. Infantino visited Iran’s dressing room and told the squad: “you are stronger than everything.” Ghalenoei said he believes Infantino tried. but that “ultimately little has changed since the tournament began. ” and he previously described Iran as the “most oppressed” team at the World Cup.
On the pitch in Seattle, the match against Egypt left Iran frustrated with more than just a single result. Shoja Khalilzadeh had a stoppage-time winner ruled offside, and Saeid Ezatolah headed against the bar. In the hours after that 90-minute sequence, Ghalenoei pressed his point with the sharpness of someone done with explanations.
“I know Mr Infantino has tried his best to minimise the problems as much as possible but it was the host that wasn’t very good to us,” Ghalenoei said. “I urge Fifa to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope Mr Infantino will actually stand up to such behaviour.”
Iran’s captain. Mehdi Taremi. raised the stakes further. criticizing FIFA’s handling of the situation and pointing to a specific breakdown: the 11 senior officials who were denied entry to the United States. Taremi said: “Since the beginning, it’s a disaster World Cup. I mean, Fifa, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately this they couldn’t solve since the beginning. Mr Infantino came to our changing room [after the] first game and he said: ‘It’s just the beginning.’ But [the] group stage finishes tomorrow and we don’t have our logistic people here. they don’t have a visa. How [is that] possible?”.
Asked whether there was a feeling that the US and FIFA wanted Iran out of the tournament. Taremi answered in a way that reflected a team trying to interpret everything through the lens of survival. “We have to fight against everything here. I don’t know what people want or know. but as we see it by our perspective. yeah. they’d like that. I think.”.
Even the logistics around travel had become part of the frustration. Iran were due to land in Tijuana, Mexico—where they are based after being forced to switch training base before the tournament—at 3am on Saturday after being denied permission to stay in Seattle.
Ghalenoei said that decision made an already difficult situation harder. “To my players and the team. I want to say to them I’m proud of them. what these young people. these players have done. it should be written in history because the host country treated us very unfairly. ” he said. “Had the host country allowed us to arrive two weeks earlier, we would have been more prepared. They were reasonable, rational demands. We would have been able to recover and be in better shape physically and mentally; however. they deprived us of that justice.”.
He added that the impact went beyond discomfort. “When you play in a match. physically. scientifically. our bodies are at a low and when you suddenly go on a flight. that actually postpones your recovery and this is the third time they are doing this to us. we have to leave from here to the airport and we have to return to Tijuana and it will take us some three hours.”.
Ghalenoei said what he described as repeated disruptions had been “really terrible. ” and he tied the pattern to a larger claim about fairness. “Their behaviour towards us has been really terrible and we hope the world will be aware of that. They didn’t let us come two weeks earlier and two days earlier before every game. This has really hurt us. And we had a war as well. ” he said. before pointing to what he framed as the team’s achievement despite the obstacles. “Despite all of these problems. we’ve been able to perform well and the world is proud of Iranians and our team. I think that’s our greatest achievement despite all the obstacles and the hurdles they put in our way.”.
Iran can qualify for the World Cup knockout stage for the first time if results go their way in the next 24 hours.
In Dallas, the focus for Egypt moved to Mohamed Salah after a request to be substituted approaching the hour in their match against Iran. Egypt’s head coach, Hossam Hassan, played down fears that the former Liverpool winger could miss Friday’s last-32 date with Australia in Dallas.
“If a player asks to be substituted, it means he felt something,” Hassan said. “I talked to Salah and he said he’s going to be OK and it’s not a big injury. We still have time to talk to the medical staff, I think he will be back and when I spoke to Salah he assured me he’s going to be OK.”
Back in the center of the controversy, Iran’s message was blunt: they believe the tournament’s off-field treatment has repeatedly pushed them off balance—and that FIFA should force the hosts to stop.
Iran World Cup coach Amir Ghalenoei Gianni Infantino US hosts visa denied 11 senior officials Seattle Egypt draw Shoja Khalilzadeh offside Saeid Ezatolah bar captain Mehdi Taremi Tijuana travel 3am Saturday Hossam Hassan Salah injury request substitute Australia Dallas last-32