Iran team 'most oppressed' at World Cup, says coach after LA airport delay
Iranian national football team's return to their Tijuana training camp after their World Cup opening match was delayed as captain Mehdi Taremi and assistant coach Saeed Alhoei were held up by airport authorities in Los Angeles.
Their departure delays were similar to their initial entry into the US, forcing the rest of the team to board without them, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.
Taremi said the restrictions were preventing them from playing their best at the tournament.
"It's not good for us. I think it's not good for football," he said. "I think Fifa have to help us more than this."
Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Monday his team were being “oppressed” due to last-minute travel changes, adding the disruption had affected their performance after a 2‑2 draw with New Zealand.
The Iranian football federation had negotiated a late move of the team’s base camp from Arizona to Mexico amid uncertainty over US visas and a growing sense that the squad’s presence in the United States should be kept to a minimum, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico has told Reuters.
Ghalenoei said they had suffered further disruption, with Iran expecting to remain in Los Angeles overnight on Monday but instead being required to return immediately to Mexico.
“We’re supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return at lunchtime tomorrow, but they haven’t permitted us,” Ghalenoei said. "To be honest, I have no idea why. I think perhaps our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup."