Credit: @iran_football_federation/Instagram
Iran Soccer Team Leave Note In World Cup Locker Room After Being Forced To Follow Strict Rules In US
Iran’s soccer team left a poignant 74-word handwritten letter in their dressing room before being forced to leave the United States.
The team left the heartfelt message following their World Cup match against Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday, June 21.
Despite the match ending with zero goals on both sides, Iran’s coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team played a ‘beautiful game’ under the ‘worst possible conditions’.
Why Iran has to leave the US after each match
Ghalenoei was referring to the fact that his team are forced to leave the US following each match, for as long as they remain in the World Cup, due to the ongoing tensions between the two countries.
Authorities in the US have introduced special visa and entry restrictions on the Iranian team, meaning they are only allowed to fly into the the US shortly before matches, and players and staff must leave after the games finish rather than stay overnight.
Some officials and support staff associated with the national team were denied entry into the States altogether over security concerns, with White House staff claiming anyone with ‘direct ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC)’ would not be allowed into the country.
Instead, the team are based in Tijuana in co-host nation Mexico, where they must return after each US-based match.
Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, previously revealed the conditions on which the Iranian team would be allowed into the country.
“The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match. They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles. They’ll be able to do it again in Seattle,” he told CBS News, via Aljazeera.
Strict visa rules tough on Iranian team
The strict rules meaning they must leave the US following each match appear to be taking their toll on the Iranian soccer team, who initially thought they would be able to stay in their hotels overnight to recover.
Following Iran’s Group G opening match against New Zealand last week, Ghalenoei described his team as being ‘the most oppressed’ in the World Cup, while vowing to make a complaint to FIFA.
At the end of the match, he said: “We’ve been asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana and we are really troubled by that.
“They are forcing us to go back early. They are making the situation more and more difficult, more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best.”
As per SPORTbible, Ghalenoei previously commented: “We don’t know why they’re returning us, to be honest. I think it’s very strange.
“It seems like others are doing the planning for us. We were supposed to arrive two nights before the game but they didn’t permit [it]. We were supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return tomorrow lunchtime.
“I think our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup. Our federation isn’t here, our media isn’t here, our management isn’t here.”
The emotional handwritten note
Despite their issues around visas, the Iranian team appear to have been given a warm welcome during their stint in California, judging by the emotional handwritten note left in their LA dressing room.
“From the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilised Iran of today,” the message read.
“The spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast.
“We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour and leave with dignity. Thank you, Los Angeles for your hospitality.
“And thank you to every Iranian who gave their heart, voice and soul for Iran throughout these 180 minutes.
“May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations.”
As the World Cup continues, officials from both the US and Iran are currently engaging in active negotiations after their ceasefire agreement earlier this year.
The peace talks are mostly focused on Iran’s nuclear program, US sanctions relief and Iranian oil exports, as well as the hotly contentious Strait of Hormuz.
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