Iran captain Mehdi Taremi has criticised FIFA over what he described as poor logistical arrangements for his team`s World Cup campaign, saying travel and visa issues have severely disrupted the squad throughout the tournament.
The striker made the remarks after Iran`s 0-0 draw with Egypt on Friday, a result that left Team Melli third in Group G and dependent on other results to determine whether they qualify for the Round of 32.
Following the match in Seattle, Iran were scheduled to return to their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico.
The team had originally planned to stay in Tucson, Arizona, but relocated to Mexico before the tournament because of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States.
Taremi said the squad has repeatedly faced difficulties travelling between Mexico and the United States, while several members of the team`s logistics staff were unable to join the delegation after failing to obtain US visas.
He said FIFA President Gianni Infantino had visited the Iranian dressing room after the opening match against New Zealand and assured the team that the situation would improve, but claimed the problems continued throughout the group stage.
Speaking to reporters, Taremi questioned why the team had to keep travelling from Tijuana and said such arrangements were not acceptable in a major international tournament.
The Inter Milan forward also suggested the lack of recovery staff and logistical support had affected the team`s preparation and raised concerns about whether Iran had been treated fairly.
Taremi, who missed a first-half penalty against Egypt, said the players had done their best despite the off-field challenges and would now wait to learn whether they had done enough to reach the knockout stage.
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