Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said on Monday that the mission of football “is to make people happy for 90 minutes” and admitted that the match with the United States, of the 3rd round of Group B of the 2022 World Cup, “are special “.
“Our mission is to provide entertainment and make people happy for 90 minutes. I was born in Mozambique and I know the effect a ball can have on children who go a day or two without food and nothing to wear,” said Queiroz , at the preview press conference before the game against the USA, in the last round of Group B.
The Portuguese coach, who could lead Iran to the round of 16, also said: “When we gave them a ball, they cannot imagine the magic of the moment: their faces of sadness lit up from one moment to the next with a smile. That is the mission of football: to make people happy.”
Queiroz avoided commenting on the controversy between the Iran national team and former German footballer and coach Jürgen Klinsmann, focusing his statements on the mission of football and the match against the United States, scheduled for next Tuesday (7 p.m.).
The Iranian coach labeled the meeting “very special” and added: “We have the chance to qualify in the last game and that makes us very proud. I have no doubt that we will be regular and consistent and that we will give our best against the United States”.
Carlos Queiroz described the opponent as “a very difficult and well organized team, which also dreams of being in eighth place”.
Off the field, the Iranian national team, thrashed by England in the first round of the group (6-2) and beat Wales (2-0) in the second round, has been the protagonist of some controversies.
On Sunday, Iran’s Football Association filed a complaint with FIFA over the statements made by Jürgen Klinsmann, who believed they were harmful to the country, and asked for his resignation from the technical study group. “He said that in the Iran-Wales game the players ‘worked’ the referee. Players put pressure on the referee.
In the first match of the World Cup in Qatar, Iranian footballers did not sing the national anthem, as a form of support for the victims of anti-government demonstrations in that country, in a moment of social protest, still following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurd who died three days after being detained by police for breaking the dress code.
US coach complains about Iranian flag controversy
For his part, United States coach Gregg Berhalter apologized for the controversy caused by a publication on social networks, which showed a modified version of the flag of Iran, without the symbol of Allah, two days before the confrontation between the two geopolitical opponents at the 2022 World Cup.
US Soccer caused a stir, believing the flag change represented a gesture of solidarity with Iranian women’s protests. The publication was later withdrawn after complaints from the Iranian Football Federation, which filed a complaint with FIFA demanding sanctions against the US.
During the pre-game press conference, Berhalter said that American players and coaching staff ignored the publications. “We are not focused on these external matters and all we can do is apologize on behalf of the players and the team, but it was not something we were responsible for,” said the selector, ensuring that “I have no idea had what US Soccer did”. “Our focus is on this match and I don’t want to appear indifferent. Of course our thoughts are with the Iranian people, with the whole country and with everyone. But our focus now is only on this match,” he argued.
The United States and Iran have been ideological enemies for more than 40 years, having severed diplomatic ties after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The two teams battle for victory, qualifying for the World Cup round of 16.
In this sense, Berhalter made sure that the off-field turbulence between the two countries did not affect his team’s preparation.
However, the preview at the start was hot with several questions about racism, the way the word Iran is pronounced and even about visa restrictions for Iranians who want to visit the US.
“I don’t know enough about politics, I’m a football coach,” Berhalter replied at one point, admitting that he understands other people have “different feelings” about this game, but stressed that for the US team “it’s just a game of football against a good team”. “It’s nothing more than that. A knockout game between two good teams who want to go through to the knockout stage,” he said, underlining that in order for his team to win the game “you can’t fix the mistakes of the past to make”.
Source: DN
