Press kept waiting for squad list

What a mess there was in Iran. This Sunday, at 13:30 (local time), manager Carlos Queiroz was expected to show up and give the squad list for the Qatar World Cup.

However, the press were left waiting in the press room. Minutes were passing and the manager did not appear for the announcement which has ended up being postponed until Monday.

According to rumours on social media, it is because Queiroz and the Iranian Federation do not agree about whether a certain player should be in the list due to social and political reasons. Sardar Azmoun is the name which has been batted around the most.

The Bayer Leverkusen forward, known as the 'Iranian Messi', publicly expressed his disagreement with the death of 22 year old Mahsa Amini who was thought to be killed by police violence after not wearing her veil correctly. 

This has caused several protests and therefore sentencing of members of the public, which is a trend which the Federation as well the Iranian government seem to want to silence in football. Both institutions were warned by FIFA for the oppressive regime and the lack of rights in certain aspects. What is more, several voice in world football asked for Iran to be excluded for this.

Iran are in Group B in the World Cup together with England, who they will go up against first on the 21st November, United States and Wales.

 

November 13, 2022