Iran coach says team is "overwhelmed" by tensions during World Cup

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Monday that his team was being "overwhelmed" due to last-minute changes to travel plans arising from tensions between Iran and the United States. He added that the interruption affected the team's performance after the 2-2 draw with New Zealand.

The Iranian football federation negotiated, at short notice, the transfer of the team's training center from Arizona to Mexico, amid uncertainty over American visas and a growing perception that the team's presence in the United States should be kept to a minimum, Iran's ambassador to Mexico told Reuters.

Ghalenoei, 62, said they suffered further disruption as Iran had expected to remain in Los Angeles overnight on Monday but was instead forced to immediately return to Mexico.

"We were supposed to stay here tonight to recover and come back tomorrow at noon, but they didn't allow us," Ghalenoei said. "To be honest, I have no idea why. I think maybe our team is the most oppressed in the entire World Cup."

"I want to talk about the unfair treatment given to the Iranian team. We spent so much time in the air that I think we barely stepped foot on dry land. We were not given the opportunity to arrive two weeks early to adapt and acclimatize. Even tonight, right after the match, we were told that we had to leave, with today being the most important time for our next game, when we need to recover and prepare. But instead, we have to get on a plane and go back to Tijuana. That is also causing us a lot of difficulty."

Amir Ghalenoei, Iran coach

He did not say who had imposed the restriction.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The build-up to the match was marked by off-field drama, with the team playing on American soil just 24 hours after the announcement of a peace deal to end the war that began when the US and Israel attacked Iran in February.

Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi stated that restrictions were preventing the team from playing their best in the tournament.

"It's not good for us. I don't think it's good for football," he said. "I think FIFA has to help us more than that."

Taremi described a busy atmosphere on Sunday as he traveled from Tijuana to Los Angeles, then to the hotel and finally to the stadium to watch the game. They should have had two days to settle in Los Angeles, he added.

"It's a very bad situation that affects our team and we just want peace," Taremi said, adding that FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited Iran's dressing room on Monday.

Coach Ghalenoei also highlighted the absence of important members of the coaching staff, with some managers and members of the press unable to travel due to visa restrictions, which meant that coaches took on additional responsibilities on the bench.

"Many members of our management team are not here," he said.

"We had to deal with these papers on our own."

Despite the setbacks, Ghalenoei praised the resilience of his players for earning the draw, although he said the demands of the trip had taken their toll, with several players suffering from cramps, which he attributed to fatigue from the extra travel.

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