Iran coach Carlos Queiroz has publicly called on Jurgen Klinsmann to resign from his role on Fifa’s Technical Study Group after branding his comments on the Iranian team ‘a disgrace to football’.
Speaking in his role as a pundit on the BBC following Iran’s 2-0 victory over Wales at the World Cup on Friday, Klinsmann suggested the Iranian players have a cultural predisposition to badgering referees for cheap fouls and that, as their manager, Queiroz suited that style of tactic.
“That’s their culture, that’s their way of doing it,” said Klinsmann. “That’s why Carlos Queiroz fits really well with the Iranian national team. He struggled in South America, failed to qualify with Colombia then failed to qualify with Egypt as well. Just before the World Cup he went back and guided Iran where he worked for a long time.
“This is not by coincidence, it is all purposely. It is part of their culture and how they play it, they worked the referee perfectly. The bench was always jumping up and working the linesman and the fourth official on the sideline. They’re constantly in your ear and your face. Keiffer Moore will probably tell you some stories after this game, he had a lot of little incidents out there that we didn’t see.
“This is their culture, they kind of make you lose your focus and concentration, what’s really important to you.”
But in a remarkable series of posts on Twitter, Queiroz has hit back at Klinsmann - slamming his comments and his perceived sense of superiority.
He invited the former German international and USA coach into Iranian camp to change his attitudes but only if the 58-year-old resigned from his role on Fifa’s Technical Study Group - the team of former players and coaches headed up by Arsene Wenger that provide analytical reports of every single World Cup game for the governing body.
In his tweets, Queiroz wrote: “Dear Jurgen; You took the initiative to call me Carlos, so I believe it is proper to call you Jurgen. Right? Even not knowing me personally, you question my character with a typical prejudiced judgment of superiority.
“No matter how much I can respect what you did inside the pitch, those remarks about Iran Culture, Iran National Team and my players are a disgrace to football. Nobody can hurt our integrity if it is not at our level, of course.
“Even saying so, we would like to invite you as our guest, to come to our National Team Camp, socialise with Iran players and learn from them about the Country, the people of Iran, the poets and art, the algebra, all the millennial Persian culture.
“And also listen from our players how much they love and respect football. As American/German, we understand your no support. No problem. And despite your outrageous remarks on BBC trying to undermine our efforts, sacrifices and skills, we promise you that we will not produce any judgments regarding your culture, roots and background and that you will always be welcome to our family.
“At the same time, we just want to follow with full attention what will be the decision of FIFA regarding your position as a member of Qatar 2022 Technical Study Group. Because, obviously, we expect you to resign before you visit our camp.”
Iran’s 2-0 victory over Wales, during which Welsh goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off, kept their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time alive - with Tuesday’s game against USA set to be decisive in who emerges from Group B.
