By Shireen Akram-Boshar
This article was originally published by Truthout
Iran’s soccer team is “the most oppressed” of the teams participating in the World Cup, said the team’s head coach.
Members of Iran’s national soccer team expressed frustration about their treatment after they were told the team needed to leave Los Angeles immediately after playing their opening World Cup game against New Zealand on Monday night.
After a 2-2 draw in their opening game with New Zealand Monday night, Iran’s team was forced to fly back to Mexico rather than remain in Los Angeles and do a recovery session Tuesday as they had hoped. Their late-night flight left the team traveling in the late hours of Monday into early Tuesday morning.
The game took place just a day after President Donald Trump claimed he had reached a deal with Iran’s government to end the unprovoked war he launched at the end of February – though skeptics warn it may only bring a short pause before more long-drawn-out war.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed exasperation at having to fly back to Mexico, saying, “They have said we have to leave immediately. We are really troubled by that. We don’t know why they are returning us, to be honest. It seems very strange. It seems others are doing the planning for us.”
The Iranian team has faced numerous obstacles due to U.S. restrictions, including having to relocate their team to stay in Mexico rather than stay in the U.S. during the World Cup. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that the Iranian soccer team would be allowed to enter the U.S. the day before each of its three World Cup matches, which it said was due to Trump’s “generosity.”
“We get tired,” said goalscorer Mohammad Mohebbi, referring to all the back-and-forth travel. “This kind of thing I think is a little bit unfair, you know?”
“It’s not good for the football, because in a World Cup, you have to prepare good for the next game, because it is a lot of stress for the players and staff and everyone,” striker Mehdi Taremi added. “But we don’t have that support, and I think FIFA have to help us more than this.”
In addition, 15 support staff members of the Iranian soccer federation were denied U.S. visas; while they appealed after arriving in Mexico, only 4 successfully obtained visas, leaving 11 members of the delegation still unable to enter the U.S.
“Our president isn’t here, our media isn’t here, many of our management team isn’t here,” Ghalenoei said.
Ghalenoei added that he thinks the Iranian team is “the most oppressed” of the teams participating in the international tournament.
Trump’s draconian border policies have affected numerous individuals and teams taking part in this year’s tournament, but he has expressed particular disdain for Iran’s team. In March, Trump said that the team should not stay in the U.S. during the World Cup “for their own life and safety,” a thinly-veiled threat against the team in a tournament ostensibly designed to promote international cooperation and cross-border unity.
Adding to their troubles, winger Mehdi Torabi’s U.S. visa expired Monday night, leaving the team uncertain if he will be able to return to the U.S. for the team’s subsequent two games. Torabi was issued only one single-entry visa instead of the multiple-entry visas given to the other players on the team.
After the Monday night match, FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the Iranian team. “I know what you go through. I understand. But you are stronger than everything,” he told the team.
Despite his assurances, Infantino has done little to better the situation for the Iranian team, or for others impacted by Trump’s restrictions. This includes Omar Artan, the Somali referee denied entry due to Trump’s animosity towards Somalis; FIFA’s response was that these decisions rested with the “host country.”
Infantino has ingratiated himself to Trump since the start of his first presidential term, even creating the “FIFA Peace Prize” and making Trump the award’s first recipient. While Infantino claims that the World Cup promotes peace, he has allied himself with the world’s most powerful, and done little to alter the global imbalances as they take shape over the soccer field.
This article was originally published by Truthout and is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Please maintain all links and credits in accordance with our republishing guidelines.
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