The Iranian national football team submits a complaint to FIFA regarding US restrictions
The United States is sticking by the travel restrictions it imposed on Iran’s World Cup team, with the White House official overseeing the tournament defending the measures as the Iranian Football Federation moves forward with a formal complaint with FIFA.Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, told Reuters on Saturday that the current plan remains in place despite Iran’s objections. The team is only permitted to travel to match stadiums within 24 hours of kick-off and must return to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico immediately after each match.The Iranian Football Federation announced on Thursday that it will file a complaint with FIFA after its request to travel to Los Angeles was rejected two days before Sunday’s match against Belgium.
The team faced logistical hurdles throughout the tournament, with captain Mehdi Taremi saying a typical short flight from Tijuana to Los Angeles takes five hours, including security and immigration checks.Giuliani said the team’s training base was moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana before the tournament, which actually reduced their travel time to Los Angeles. He also noted that all players and coaches received visas, but some team officials were rejected because of what he called “derogatory information.”
The official stressed that security concerns remain a priority, although no specific threats have been identified.
“The most oppressed team”
He strongly criticized coach Amir Ghalinoi, describing his team as “the most oppressed team in the entire World Cup.” He said that the latest schedule gave his team less than 16 hours to prepare for the Belgium match, forcing them to halve their usual training time.“We were able to train only half the time we normally spend in training,” he told reporters.Giuliani noted that the restrictions are in line with FIFA regulations, which state teams must travel to match stadiums one day before matches and return after matches. Some team officials and support staff are still unable to obtain visas to the United States.Iran will play its final group stage match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Discussions about travel arrangements for that match will take place after Sunday’s match against Belgium.
