By Shady Amir
AL RAYYAN, Qatar (Reuters) – Iran national team striker Mehdi Taremi said the team was not under pressure after players refused to sing the national anthem in their first World Cup match against England.
The Iranian national team’s decision not to sing the anthem on Monday in an apparent show of support for the protests at home made headlines around the world.
Players fell silent as the anthem played at the Khalifa International Stadium, while their supporters screamed and waved in despair.
Iran has been rocked by more than two months of protests sparked by the death of a young woman in the custody of the country’s moral police, in one of the biggest challenges to Iranian clerical leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iranian state television cut the live broadcast of the match as players queued up before the game for the anthem.
“I’ve said before that I won’t answer such questions, but this time I will,” Taremi told a news conference on Thursday, the eve of the team’s second game against Wales.
“We are not under pressure. In a football tournament, football journalists must be respected and everything that has nothing to do with football must be left out.”
The press conference lasted just over 30 minutes, with football questions taking up less than a third of the time, and reporters were asked by the media manager to leave their remaining questions about the situation in Iran until after the game.
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said the media had a right to ask questions about politics surrounding the games.
“Is it fair to continue asking political questions? It is freedom of the press and it is our right not to respond and to respect and understand our position”, said the Portuguese.
“Others should respect 3,000 years of (Iranian) history, culture, history and science. Iranians are polite and humble and love what other citizens around the world like.”
The 69-year-old said it was unfair for the media to ask players questions about human rights.
“It’s strange that you don’t ask these questions to other coaches and players, some of them don’t talk about these issues in their countries,” said Queiroz.
“Let the players play football like other teams, the players are not the enemy of the fans.”
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