Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team was “perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup,” after his side was ordered to leave the US and fly back to its training base in Tijuana only hours after opening the tournament with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand on Monday night.
“They didn’t even give us time to recover,” Ghalenoei said through an interpreter. “After the game today, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.
“It’s very important for us to have time for recovery, but we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that.”
He did not say who had ordered the early departure. The team had expected to stay overnight in California to allow for normal post-match recovery before being told it had to fly back immediately.
“We don’t know why they are returning us, to be honest,” Ghalenoei said. “I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us.”
“We have no idea why. I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup,” he added.
Captain Mehdi Taremi said the squad had endured five hours of travel and security checks on Sunday for what is normally a short trip from Tijuana to the Los Angeles area. “All the thing is like a disaster for us,” he said.
Iran’s World Cup cycle has been in upheaval since the US and Israel began a war against Iran on 28 February. The team ultimately decided to compete after FIFA rejected its request to move its three group-stage matches out of the US.
In its opening match on Monday, Iran came from behind twice to draw 2-2, a result Ghalenoei described as producing “the best game of the World Cup group stage” despite his frustration with the outcome.
‘Not my team’
Meanwhile, several hundred Iranian Americans protested outside the stadium in Inglewood, calling for change in Tehran and waving the pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag, while thousands of others poured into the stadium in the heart of the largest diaspora community to see the team play.
The demonstrators contended the team is synonymous with the Tehran regime, while fans, their cheeks striped with red-and-green face paint, filed past, saying they were separating football from politics.
At one point, protesters snatched an official Iranian flag from a fan, stomped on it and ripped it.
Southern California is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran, many of whom arrived after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Rameileh Jaffrey, 46, of Los Angeles, left Iran a dozen years ago and said she feels the team’s players are aligned with Iran’s current regime.
“They are not my team. They are a government team,” she said.
Event security broke up shouting matches between protesters and fans before and after the match and was joined by sheriff’s deputies shortly before kickoff. A woman protesting jeered Kia Keanh and his family as they walked by wearing T-shirts supporting the team.
“I’m just here to watch the sport, it’s not about the regime,” he said. “I’m just here for a World Cup game, to enjoy it with my family.”
Some of the demonstrators also went inside the stadium to see the team play, like 42-year-old Ella Bah, who brought extra clothing to conceal the lion-and-sun flag she wore tied around her like a dress.
“We’re not here to cheer them on,” she said. “We’re here to be the voice for the people inside Iran.”
A section of Iranian fans booed the Islamic Republic’s national anthem before kickoff but cheered when Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi scored. The match passed without the disruption some had expected.
After being asked about the disruption and the fans’ reaction, Rezaeian, who was named man of the match after a goal and an assist, said, “We will solve the problems related to our country ourselves, and you should not worry about them.”
He thanked the fans inside the stadium. “I think they were satisfied with the players’ performance and effort because the national team played attacking, high-quality football and fought until the end to achieve a result.”
‘Stronger and greater’
FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited Iran’s dressing room afterwards and praised the players. “You are stronger and greater than all the issues that have arisen for you, and you are sending a very powerful message to the world,” he told the squad.
Ghalenoei thanked FIFA for its attention to the team but described Iran as “the most underdog team at the World Cup.”
He cited the team’s inability to remain in Los Angeles for recovery and the absence of federation president Mehdi Taj and secretary-general Mohammad Nabi, both of whom had their US visa applications rejected even after appeals, calling for greater support from FIFA.
Tasnim News Agency reported that Taremi and assistant coach Saeid Alhoei were delayed leaving Los Angeles airport after the match, forcing the rest of the squad to wait on the plane.
“Our goal and wish is to pursue peace and happiness, which are also values promoted by FIFA,” Taremi said.
“Overall, it is a bad situation, and we are very tired of these circumstances. Over the past two months, we have faced many problems, and this has affected the team,” he added. “Nevertheless, as FIFA has said, we are here to pursue peace and enjoy football.”
Asked whether he had a message for Trump, he smiled. “I am a footballer, not a politician. We are here to play football.”
Separately, Iranian media reported that defender Mehdi Torabi was issued a single-entry visa rather than the multiple-entry visa given to his teammates, meaning it expired once the squad left the US after the New Zealand match.
The federation said it was working to secure a new visa in time for Iran’s next match.
Iran faces Belgium in Los Angeles next Sunday. The exact timing of the team’s return to the US has not been confirmed. After the opening round of group games, all four teams in Group G have one point.