Tehran Times - Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj has warned Team Melli coach Carlos Queiroz he must talk about technical issues after the Portuguese coach accused Iran sports minister Masoud Soltanifar of ordering the federation to not extend his contract at the end of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Queiroz has said the Iranian sports ministry has put the football federation under pressure to terminate his deal after the Asian Cup underway in the UAE.
“Iran sports ministry didn’t want the federation to extend my contract. If I found out about it, I would not extend my deal after the 2018 World Cup. I didn’t want to do anything against the minister’s order,” Queiroz had told reporters on the sidelines of Team Melli training on Thursday.
Queiroz’s interview created concerns ahead of Iran football match against Oman in the Asian Cup Round of 16 scheduled for Sunday.
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“Iran’s football family needs to keep more calm and stay away from tension in the pivotal period. If there is any criticism it should be declared after the competition ends. The only aim of Iran sports ministry, football federation and people is Team Melli’s pride and all of us are doing our best to make it happen.
“All wages, salaries and bonuses of coaching staff have been paid so far and the coaching staff must only talk about technical issues. Experience has shown that these kinds of controversies could jeopardize our success,” Taj said.