Iran’s head coach Carlos Queiroz has said his team is playing under pressure after they suffered a thumping 6-2 defeat to England in their opening World Cup game.
Multiple anti-regime demonstrations have been staged in Iran over the past two months following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody after she was arrested for not wearing a hijab. Ahead of the tournament in Qatar, Iran’s players were criticised after they met with the country’s president Ebrahim Raisi, but Queiroz has called on supporters to ease the pressure on his squad after their defeat at the World Cup. “Everybody knows the present circumstances, of the environment of my players is not the best environment, in term of commitment, concentration, because they are affected by those issues,” Queiroz said. ‘They are human beings, they are kids, I know them for a lot of years, they only have one dream, to follow the legends of the Iran country, play for the country, play for the people, and enjoy playing for the people. “I am very proud of them, the way they stand up, keep fighting, and scored two goals against England under these circumstances. “They did well, very proud of what they did. But of course if you want one example, in 2014 and 2018, we had full support from fans. ‘Now, you saw what happened today. That’s why I invite the fans of Iran who are not here already to support the team, they should stay at home.”
SARANSK, RUSSIA - JUNE 25: Carlos Queiroz, Head coach of Iran reacts during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group B match between Iran and Portugal at Mordovia Arena on June 25, 2018 in Saransk, Russia. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)