SEATTLE. Mehdi Taremi, 33, takes the blade from his mouth.
He directs sharp criticism at how Iran is treated during the World Cup.
– This WC is a disaster, he says.
Iran has just played 1–1 against Egypt when Mehdi Taremi comes out to the mixed zone.
The 33-year-old is not too eager to talk about the match, about the disallowed goal, about the dramatic finish or about the wait as group three.
He wants to talk about how Iran is treated during the championship.
Due to the US and Iran being in conflict, the Iranian national team cannot stay any longer 24 hours straight in the USA during the World Cup.
They played all their group stage matches in the USA but were still forced to move their World Cup base to Mexico and Tijuana. Immediately after the match against Egypt in Seattle, they were therefore forced to fly back to Tijuana.
– We have been complaining about this since the beginning. This World Cup is a disaster. A disaster, says Taremi.
“Haven’t received a visa”
Photo: MATTHEW CHILDS / REUTERS
The striker directs his criticism at Fifa, among other things, and talks about the visit from Gianni Infantino, Fifa’s president.
– They should have solved all these problems, but unfortunately they have not succeeded since the championship started. Infantino came to our dressing room before the first game and said: “This is just the beginning”. The group stage ends tomorrow and we still don’t have our logistics staff here. They have not received visas, says Taremi.
There is nothing wrong with Tijuana. Taremi loves the city and the people in it.
– But in a professional competition at this level, it is not right. We have to travel back again, without recovery, without anything. It’s not fair. If Fifa thinks it’s fair, fine then let them think so. But we don’t think so.
Taremi then sends out several rhetorical questions to the assembled journalist corps. Everyone asks their questions in English. No Iranian press is present.
– Who wants to help us? Who? If they want us out of the tournament, fine, so be it. But it’s not fair. We don’t get recovery and we don’t have logistics staff here to help us. We have been complaining about these things all the time, but no one is helping us. No.
Forced to cancel
The striker continues to be asked questions about the game but always wants to return to the problems off the pitch.
– We want to send a message of peace to people. To the people of Iran, outside Iran, to Fifa and to everyone. But we don’t get peace from others. Who will solve the problem for us? Who? Fifa? I don’t know. USA? I don’t know who. Just name me one.
Taremi is forced to interrupt the interview for a press conference to begin. But what he wants to get across is that everyone deserves the same conditions.
Iran still has the chance to advance to the round of 16 as one of the eight best group threes.
