Iran to lodge Fifa complaint over World Cup restrictions

Iran plan to lodge a formal complaint with Fifa regarding the “restrictions imposed by the organisers” on the team at the World Cup, after being told they will only be permitted to arrive in Los Angeles 24 hours before Sunday’s crucial game against Belgium.

After Iran’s Group G opener with New Zealand, their head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, argued they are the “most oppressed” team at the tournament. Iran’s captain, Mehdi Taremi, said the logistical issues meant recent weeks had been a “disaster”.

The comments stemmed from Iran being informed they had to fly to their team base in Tijuana, Mexico immediately after their draw at Los Angeles Stadium, rather than return the following day after a recovery session.

Iran are understood to feel compelled to complain to Fifa after being advised that, as before their 2-2 draw with New Zealand, they will not be allowed to arrive in the US two days before the match. The federation are understood to have presented their case for wanting longer to prepare in the host city.

They are particularly unhappy at those constraints on this occasion because it is a midday kick-off local time in LA on Sunday, leaving Iran to travel to Los Angeles International airport on Saturday. Their opening game was a 6pm kick-off local time.

In a statement released on Friday, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said: “The football federation of Iran believes that such restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams’ preparation processes.

“Consequently, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with Fifa through the appropriate channels. Despite these limitations, Iran’s national team will continue its preparation program [sic] and remain fully focused on its upcoming match against Belgium.”