Iran’s World Cup Hopes Overshadowed By Deadly Political Turmoil
For the Iranian regime the ‘World Cup final’ has a date – November 29th. That is when the team representing the Islamic Republic kicks off against the ‘Great Satan’ of the USA. In stark contrast however, ordinary Iranians are focused not so much on Qatar but on the violence that has convulsed their country since September.
The football pitch will provide two very different opportunities for Iran – It could provide Iranian activists a global audience for their ongoing uprising, but victory over the United States will provide an opportunity for the regime to further suppress the protesters.Former Iran international and current Iran International TV football pundit Mohammad Taghavi has little doubt where the Islamic regime’s priorities lie: “For the Iranian government, if they win against the United States the World Cup is finished, they will be the champions.
“The most important thing, right now, is to beat the United States. If they lose against England and Wales, no problem at all. If they lose against the United States… big, big problem. Everything in Iran relies on the result versus the United States.” Taghavi told The Sports Gazette.
It will not be the first time the rivals have met, with Iran defeating the U.S 2-1 in the 1998 World Cup in France in arguably the most politically charged game in World Cup history.
Irish Times political journalist and avid football fan Gerry Moriarty remembers the 1998 clash well:
“I think it’s only a slight exaggeration to say that in the weeks prior to kick-off this was a game that had the entire world on edge” Moriarty told the Sports Gazette.
“Memories were still vivid about the 1979 Iranian revolution and with the continuing bitter enmity and hostility between Iran and the United States, there was a real concern about what new calamity this game might trigger. It seemed like a real powderkeg, there was that real sense of foreboding ahead of the game.
“Somehow, good sense and diplomacy prevailed. I think what helped was that Iran won the game and that the Americans took the result with pretty good grace. Had the US won I suspect the response would have been more volatile and dangerous.”
Why are Iranians protesting?In September, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody after her arrest for not complying with Iran’s strict rules on head coverings, sparking nationwide outrage. Amini was reportedly beaten while inside a police van following her arrest.Police denied the allegations, citing she “suddenly suffered a heart problem”.The sweeping protests that followed have morphed into one of the boldest challenges to the ruling regime since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The regime’s brutal response to the protests have left over 300 dead, prompting calls for Iran to be kicked out of the upcoming tournament.Taghavi told me it is impossible to separate the current national team playing in Qatar and the domestic situation in Iran:“I want to say, okay, football is separate from politics, but when someone is murdered in Iran, you cant say ‘ok, let’s stick to football’.“At this moment in time there is no connection. Everybody’s angry, everybody’s sad. Everybody is mad at the players, at the coach.“They might beat England and they might beat Wales, but if they lose to the United States it will be disappointing for them. But the fans don’t think about it like that, the government does.“Iranian fans would love to qualify for the next stage, but when we are talking about right now, there is one problem because there are problems in Iran, and nobody cares about the Iran team. Nobody.”The Islamic Republic is worried that the World Cup can serve as another opportunity for anti-government protests, and the pace at which Iranian athletes are showing support for protests is rising.
Iran’s water polo, beach football, basketball and sitting volleyball teams all refused to sing the national anthem in recent weeks – which is customary in almost all international competitions.
Iran players covered their national badge and colours by wearing black coats during the national anthem ahead of a friendly with Senegal in September. The match was played behind closed doors in the remote town of Marina Enzersdorf, Austria, as protests took place outside the ground.London-based Iranian journalist Behzad Tavakkoli told the Sports Gazette the situation at home is “very strange and unprecedented”.“You don’t see excitement in Iran’s media. It is very obvious these protests transcend Iran’s football players and Football Federation and also the coaching team, too, because many people ask the players and the coach to react to what was happening in the streets.”
The dramatic return of Querioz
It is safe to say there will be no remonstration from current football head coach, Carlos Querioz. Queiroz is Iran’s longest serving manager, most recently guiding the team to a creditable 2018 World Cup campaign that included draws against his native Portugal and Brazil.This will be Queiroz’s second spell in charge of Iran, following the controversial sacking of Dragan Skocic just four months ago. The Croat was dismissed amid reports the Iranian Football Federation wanted to appoint a homegrown coach ahead of the politically charged group-stage games against England and the United States.Although not homegrown, Querioz is a safe pair of hands for the Iranian regime. He is a coach that, in his previous spell as manager between 2011 and 2019, was content to receive his wage, coach the team and keep his mouth shut.
Queiroz had a blunt response to politically-charged questions at his opening press conference in Qatar, asking British media “how much you pay me to answer that question” when asked whether he was comfortable representing a country that suppresses women.
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Taghavi told me he expected more from Queiroz given his position.“For myself, I am trying to support Querioz in his comeback to Iran, but I expected Querioz to do better to support the Iranian people.
“He has done nothing. Personally, I have no connection to the coach, to the players, and there are so many Iranian fans thinking like me”.Star striker Sardar Azmoun spoke out in support of the protests via his Instagram account, using the slogan “long live Iranian women”. Azmoun later deleted the post but was joined by a number of teammates blacking out the profile pictures of their social media accounts.The protests have caused a split within the squad, according to Tavakkoli:“Many people ask the players and the coach to react to what was happening in the streets. Some players did, some did not. Some, for example, changed the avatar of their Instagram pages to something black or a black map of Iran. Some didn’t. Some posted things about what’s going on in Iran. Some didn’t.“There are reports that these players, they’re under pressure by authorities, not to mention anything about what’s going on in Iran and people are angry at those who did not do it.”Despite his qualities on the field, Azmoun’s participation at the World Cup was under question following speculation he could be excluded due to such outspoken support for the protests.The Iran players are stuck in an impossible predicament – who are they playing for? The Iranian people? The Islamic Republic? Their manager claims the players “only have one thing on their mind” – to make the second round – but there is no doubt that this group of players are not disconnected from the turmoil back home.
The team are being urged to use their platform to protest an authoritarian regime, while that regime is only interested in the team defeating their eternal ideological enemies from the west.
