"We cannot deny the conditions in my country, they are not good. The players know it.”
Sitting in a Doha media centre, Qatar 2022 lanyard around his neck and the Iranian Football Federation crest on his chest, Iran captain Ehsan Hajsafi chose to confront the situation in his homeland head-on.
‘Situation’ is, of course, understating it. After the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the Iranian ‘morality police’ for violating the nation’s dress code in September, protests over women’s rights and other personal freedoms have swept the country.