Iran wants the US suspended for violating the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The symbol of Allah and the word “God is great” were taken from the image of the flag consisting of green, white and red colors, in the US Soccer Federation’s Instagram and Twitter posts, which led to the sending of an e-mail. email to FIFA “requiring you to send a serious warning” to its North American counterpart, according to the official IRNA news agency.
According to the spokesman for American footballwas it “a gesture of solidarity with the women of Iran”, referring to Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, who died at the hands of the vice squad after being detained for not using the proper hijab.
The relevant publications were removed soon after, with the Americans ensuring that “the flag was never changed on the federation’s official website”, but the controversy had already been installed. FIFA’s Ethics Committee now has the floor, which has had zero tolerance for political expression – the Iranians, the news agency said semi-official Tasnim, request that the US be sanctioned with a ten-game suspension as provided for in Section 13 of the Rules. A sanction in the middle of the World Cup is unlikely.
Off the field, the US and Iran have been in perpetual tension since they broke off diplomatic ties in 1980. Divorced by geopolitical issues, in part reinforced by issues related to Israel and Saudi Arabia, Joe Biden even declared in July that “the only worst thing about Iran is an Iran with nuclear weapons” and admitted military intervention in the country.
It is in this climate that the two teams will face each other tomorrow. Both have chances to qualify in a group led by England, with 4 points. Iran has 3 points and the US 2. Wales is last in Group B with one point.
Controversy after controversy
Jurgen Klinsmann, world champion for Germany in 1990 and former coach of the USA, was unimpressed by Iran’s victory over Wales (2-0) in the 2nd round of Group B and criticized the Iranians. “It’s part of their culture, the way they play. They work the referee. Just look at the bench, the way they jumped on top of the assistant and the fourth referee, always hit them on the head,” said the German in the commentaries on the game for the BBC, adding that Queiroz is a good fit “with this team and its culture”.
The coach reacted immediately, saying that the German’s words were “a disgrace to football”. ancient Persian culture”.
The federation believed that Klinsmann had “made value judgments” about Iranian culture and filed a complaint with FIFA, asking him to recant and resign from the Technical Study Group of the 2022 World Cup.
Speaking to the BBC, the German said he would call Queiroz to “calm things down”, revealing that some comments had been “taken out of context” and to praise his “emotionality”.
The Iranian presence in Qatar has been anything but peaceful. Players refused to sing the national anthem in the first game and were bombarded with questions about it and fear of reprisal.
After the 6-2 defeat to England, Queiroz criticized the supporters – “if they didn’t come to cheer, they should have stayed home” – then came to the defense of Taremi and the constant questions outside football: “Why are you asking the Southgate not to Afghanistan?’
And he even boycotted a conference after being asked if accepting a selector was not a pact with the Iranian regime.
Source: DN
