Updated 09.28 | Published 09.17
LOS ANGELES. The WC premiere in the USA is over.
Immediately afterwards, Iran was forced to return to Mexico.
– It is actually a disaster for us, says Mehdi Taremi.
The Iranian striker does not want to use the external circumstances as an excuse that it “just” was 2–2 against New Zealand.
But Mehdi Taremi does not shy away from criticizing the national team’s conditions when, standing on a podium together with teammate Mohammad Mohebi, he meets the press after the World Cup premiere in Los Angeles.
– I think we should have been allowed to come here two days before the match. Yesterday we started the journey in the morning, we arrived in the afternoon and went straight to training. We got tired, says Taremi.
Anger: “Not fair”
Iran plays all three of its group stage matches in the United States, but has its World Cup base in Tijuana, Mexico. Due to the war between the USA and Iran, the national team is only allowed to fly into the country in connection with the matches – and now they are forced to return immediately.
– The idea was that we would train tomorrow morning and do recovery here before we went to Tijuana. But now we have to leave Los Angeles immediately. It’s not good for us and I don’t think it’s good for football.
Mehdi Taremi thinks it feels unfair and says that Fifa should do more for the Iranian national team.
– We don’t have our media department here, we don’t have our union chairman or vice chairman here. No. Some important people in the staff are also missing. There is no real communication with Fifa for the sake of the players. As you can see, our manager has to handle the media here, for example. This is actually a disaster for us, he says.
As a player, he really just wants to focus on football. He sighs and states:
– We are tired of all this. The last two months we have had many problems. It is very difficult and it affects the team. We just want peace. That’s Fifa’s slogan: peace, joy and things like that.
Infantino in the dressing room
When asked what he would like to say to Fifa president Gianni Infantiono, Taremi replies:
– He has been in the dressing room and we ask him the same questions. He obviously wants to help us, but it’s about other things too. Everyone knows that. I don’t even have to mention it, because you know where we are.
Taremi does not want to send any invitation to US President Donald Trump.
– I am a footballer and not a politician (laughs). We are here to play football.
Most of his teammates pass the mixed zone with their eyes fixed on the ground. They shake their heads and decline interviews.
Swedish-Iranian Saman Ghoddos shrugs his shoulders when Sportbladet asks him when the flight to Tijuana leaves.
How do you feel about having to travel already tonight?
– It is what it is. Nothing we can control.
Iran will face Belgium in the next group stage match. It is also played in Los Angeles, on Sunday at 21.00, Swedish time.
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