Top News

Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei has expressed his displeasure with the United States authorities over what he described as inconsistent scheduling for his team’s World Cup preparations, claiming that the lack of uniformity between matches has placed Iran at a distinct disadvantage ahead of their upcoming fixtures.

The Iranian team’s World Cup campaign has faced a series of obstacles due to tensions between Iran and the United States. Their training base was shifted from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, after several staff members were denied entry visas to the US.

As a result, the squad has been forced to commute across the border for their Group G matches, but Ghalenoei said the restrictions on their stay have been applied unevenly from one match to another.

Speaking on Saturday, Ghalenoei explained that the latest schedule allowed his players less than 16 hours to prepare, compelling them to cut short their training sessions ahead of the crucial encounter with Belgium.

He stated, “We only managed to train for half the time we usually dedicate to our sessions. Our aim was to achieve the best possible physical and tactical readiness.”

“Look at the Belgium team,” he continued. “They arrived yesterday at noon and were able to complete a full training programme.”

Ghalenoei pointed out that before their 2-2 draw with New Zealand in their opening match, they were given 24 hours to prepare. “The situation has become even more difficult,” he said.

The Iranian coach reserved his strongest remarks for what he called the inconsistent handling of the team’s travel logistics. According to US officials, the team’s travel plans remain under review, and discussions are ongoing to relax some of the restrictions.

Ghalenoei mentioned that he had been informed Iran would have more autonomy over their arrangements before their final group match against Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

He remarked, “For the third game, they’ve allowed us to make our own decisions regarding travel planning. But my question is, why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well? If they can do it now, why couldn’t they do it for our first and second matches?”

Despite his criticism, Ghalenoei commended FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the football governing body for their intervention. “I am certain that FIFA and Mr Infantino are doing everything possible to ease the challenges we are facing. I believe FIFA has done its utmost to reduce the difficulties we’ve encountered,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude to the US authorities for ensuring the team’s entry procedures went smoothly, even though he remained frustrated by the lost training time. “Once we entered the United States, they made sure everything went smoothly at customs,” he said. “I would like to thank the US for that. However, the issue is that we were not given sufficient time for training.”