TEHRANTIMES - Esteghlal technical director Mansour Pourheidari blamed the Iranian media after they criticized the poor quality of Tehran derby.

Esteghlal and Persepolis played out a goalless draw in the eighth week of the Iranian Professional League (IPL) on Friday.

In a lackluster performance that left about 100,000 spectators at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium disappointed, neither Esteghlal nor Persepolis was able to find the net.

“Nobody is satisfied with this match. I believe that derby attracts a lot of attention and the media is going overboard to sensationalize news,” Pourheidari said.

“Esteghlal could have won the match. Jlloyd Samuel squandered a good chance in the second half,” Pourheidari added.

Esteghlal and Persepolis have played each other 77 times, with Esteghlal winning 24 games, Persepolis taking 18, and 35 matches ending in a draw.