Iran plans to file a complaint with FIFA over what it describes as travel restrictions affecting the team’s preparations at the ongoing World Cup in North America.
Speaking on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Iranian Football Federation said the team had faced challenges despite submitting its tournament logistics and preparation plans well ahead of time.
According to the federation, Iran requested permission to travel from its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles two days before Sunday’s clash with Belgium, but the request was rejected by tournament organisers.
“Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran’s national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff’s plans,” the spokesman said.
The federation argued that an earlier arrival in Los Angeles would have allowed the players more time to adjust to conditions before the match, which is scheduled to kick off at noon local time.
“Given that the game will be played at 12:00 pm local time in Los Angeles, the Football Federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match,” the spokesman said.
“The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalize preparations.
“Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied.”
Iran said it intends to raise the issue with FIFA, claiming the restrictions have disrupted the plans of the coaching staff ahead of the crucial Group Stage encounter against Belgium.
