Iran Coach Calls His Side the Most Oppressed Team at the World Cup

Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei used his post-match platform after a dramatic 2-2 draw with New Zealand to declare that his team have been the most oppressed side at the entire World Cup, according to Sky Sports. The comments came in the wake of a deeply turbulent build-up to the tournament, shaped by the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States.

Sky Sports reports that the squad were forced to move their training camp to Mexico due to the political situation, and that during the match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, sections of the 70,000-strong crowd jeered the Iranian national anthem. Iranian-American supporters in the stands did their best to drown out the hostility.

On the pitch, Iran twice came from behind to earn a point, in a result that showed considerable resolve. Off it, the wider circumstances of their participation at this World Cup remain unlike anything any other squad at the tournament has had to navigate.