Iran coach Amir Ghalenoe revealed that his team was told to leave the US immediately after playing out a draw against New Zealand in the FIFA World Cup at SOFI Stadium in Los Angeles. Iran and New Zealand delivered a spectacle, with the teams settling for a 2-2 draw. According to AP, Iran was preparing to spend the night in California for recovery, but were ordered to leave the US immediately and return to their base in Tajuana in Mexico.
“They didn’t even give us time to recover,” Ghalenoei said through an interpreter.
“After the game today, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.’ It’s very important for us to have time for recovery, but we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that,” he added.
Related News |
Iran Arrive In US Under Tight Security As Anti-Regime Protesters Gather Before World Cup Opener
WATCH: Iran Anthem Met With Loud Boos At SoFi Stadium During FIFA World Cup Clash Vs New Zealand
Iran is playing the World Cup amid the crisis in the middle east and have faced several roadblocks en route to the gala event. The team mulled over pulling out of the tournament, but later decided to play after FIFA rejected the Sports Federation’s request to move its matches out of the US. The team faced visa delays and had to shift their base from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico to avoid complications.
Amir Ghalenoe said his team are the most “oppressed” at the FIFA World Cup and has been suffering way before the tournament began.
“They delayed our arrivals, and they are forcing us to go back early without time for recovery. They are making the situation more and more difficult, facing us with more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best,” he said.
Related News |
Watch: Iran’s Mohammad Mohebi Goes Viral For Gun Celebration On US Soil During FIFA World Cup Clash
“That’s why I think we are the most oppressed team in the World Cup,” he added.
Ghalenoe revealed that several players developed cramps during the game and should have been allowed time to recover.
“Before the game, I said we haven’t had time to adjust because of the travel. Many of our players, they had cramps, and that’s why we had to substitute them. So it wasn’t for technical reasons that we made substitutions. It was because of the injury and because of the cramp. They will be examined (Tuesday) by our technical staff, but the fact that they delayed our arrivals, and they are forcing us to go back early without time for. recovery, they are making the situation more difficult,” he said.
