Team Melli is continue training sessions under Carlos Queiroz in preparation for the Uzbekistan match in Tashkent. The team trained at Azadi Stadium on Wednesday evening.
“We have a friendly game with the Uzbek national team, which we have to put all our focus on.” Queiroz said “We will try to go to Uzbekistan with 25 players. We aim to play a decent game and utilize the the new players. Support work is under way. However it is slow.”
In response to some of his earlier statements about leaving his post, which was not too convincing to many critics, the national team head coach said : Who has said this? As I said before, I have no worries and I will carry on doing my job. There is no problem with this and we shall do our work.”
Referring to Sardar Azmoun who abruptly announced his retirement from international football, Queiroz said “He is one of the best players in the national team, and I’m sure that his problems will be resolved soon,”.
Asked if he has declined playing friendly games against Argentine and Colombia: “Who has said this? Do you have an official letter of this game?”
When Queiroz was presented by the federation with documentation and letters, he responded by saying: “I have no clue about these games, If this is true, then it would be like a miracle.!!! If this thing is right, I’m happy to crawl on my knees all the way to Dubai. After all these years, where we had problems with the arranging friendly games, if that’s is true , it’s excellent.”
“We all know that these problems exist,” he said about foreign currency issues.” Everyone should try to work to solve these problems so that we can get good results in the Asian Cup. When the dollar goes up, then Mehdi Taj should solve this problem, but when Ronaldo rises, it’s a technical problem and I have to fix the problem.”
Queiroz emphasized on the quality of player for Team Melli selections: “As long as I am in the national team, it does not matter to me where the player is from. A good player should be in the national team. It’s a very serious matter, as long as I am here at the helm, it does not matter if the player is from the north, south, center, or west and east of the country. A good player must be selected.”
The selection of 6 Esteghlal players (all defence line) against only one player from defending champion Persepolis, has raised lots of concerns about Queiroz selection criteria. Many accuse him of ignoring Persepolis due personal grudges with Persepolis head coach Branko Ivankovic.
Carlos Queiroz, referring to the change in the national team’s media manager, and said that Hosseini, who was previously present, has become the successor to the media coordinator Moa’tamed Kia. I hope the media will ask me directly if they have any ambiguity about the national team, or from the department of national teams to minimize the problems.”