On November 27, the National football coach of Iran, Carlos Queiroz, demanded the resignation of Jurgen Klinsmann from his position as a member of Qatar 2022 Technical Study Group after his unsavoury comments about Iran’s culture. Klinsmann made his comments after Iran’s match with Wales, which Iran went on to win 2-0 pushing the Welsh side to the brink of elimination from the World Cup. During a post-match discussion on the BBC, Klinsmann said fouls and confronting officials are “in the culture of Iran”.
Klinsmann said, “That’s their culture, that’s their way of doing it. That’s why Carlos Queiroz fits really well with the Iranian national team. He struggled in South America, failed to qualify with Colombia then failed to qualify with Egypt as well. Just before the World Cup, he went back and guided Iran where he worked for a long time.”
This is unbelievable…
— Negar Mortazavi نگار مرتضوی (@NegarMortazavi) November 26, 2022
Watch @J_Klinsmann dismiss brown athletes, from Iran to Guatemala, repeatedly saying “this is their culture”, while the host and other guests are sitting there listening to him go on and on, live on @BBCSport.pic.twitter.com/RgOR3b1sr0
The former German striker who has managed teams in a World Cup twice, Germany in 2006 and USA in 2014, added, “This is not by coincidence, it is all purposely. It is part of their culture, and how they play it, they worked the referee perfectly. The bench was always jumping up and working the linesman and the fourth official on the sideline. They’re constantly in your ear and your face. Keiffer Moore (the Welsh striker) will probably tell you some stories after this game, he had a lot of little incidents out there that we didn’t see.”
Klinsmann further said, “This is their culture, they kind of make you lose your focus and concentration, what’s really important to you.”
The remarks did not go well with the Iranian coach Queiroz, who responded to Klinsmann’s comments with a series of tweets and demanded his resignation from FIFA’s technical study group. Notably, Klinsmann is one of the seven experts, including former players and coaches headed by the former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Their job is to provide analytical reports of every single World Cup game for the governing body.
Calling Klinsmann’s comments a ‘disgrace to football’, Queiroz said, “Dear Jurgen; You took the initiative to call me Carlos, so I believe it is proper to call you Jurgen. Right? Even not knowing me personally, you question my character with a typical prejudiced judgment of superiority.”
Dear Jurgen;
— Carlos Queiroz (@Carlos_Queiroz) November 26, 2022
You took the initiative to call me Carlos, so I believe it is proper to call you Jurgen. Right?
Even not knowing me personally, you question my character with a typical prejudiced judgment of superiority.
(…) pic.twitter.com/JAq0l7Yp6n
He added, “No matter how much I can respect what you did inside the pitch, those remarks about Iran Culture, Iran National Team and my Players are a disgrace to Football. Nobody can hurt our integrity if it is not at our level, of course.”
Even saying so, we would like to invite you as our guest, to come to our National Team Camp, socialize with Iran players and learn from them about the Country, the people of Iran, the poets and art, the algebra, all the millennial Persian culture…
— Carlos Queiroz (@Carlos_Queiroz) November 26, 2022
Queiroz, who coached Iran from 2011 to 2019 before returning in 2022, further said, “Even saying so, we would like to invite you as our guest, to come to our National Team Camp, socialize with Iran players and learn from them about the Country, the people of Iran, the poets and art, the algebra, all the millennial Persian culture.”
He added, “And also listen from our players how much they love and respect Football. As American/German, we understand your no support. No problem. And despite your outrageous remarks on BBC trying to undermine our efforts, sacrifices and skills, we promise you that we will not produce any judgments regarding your culture, roots and background and that you will always be welcome to our Family.”
we promise you that we will not produce any judgments regarding your culture, roots and background and that you will always be welcome to our Family.
— Carlos Queiroz (@Carlos_Queiroz) November 26, 2022
(…)
Furthermore, he said, “At the same time, we just want to follow with full attention what will be the decision of FIFA regarding your position as a member of Qatar 2022 Technical Study Group. Because, obviously, we expect you to resign before you visit our camp. Carlos.”
At the same time, we just want to follow with full attention what will be the decision of FIFA regarding your position as a member of Qatar 2022 Technical Study Group. Because, obviously, we expect you to resign before you visit our camp.
— Carlos Queiroz (@Carlos_Queiroz) November 26, 2022
Carlos
Klinsmann tried to explain his comments later and said he was misunderstood. In a BBC newsletter, he said, “Yesterday, I said how excited and involved Iran were as a collective – fans, bench, manager, players – in their game. Some felt I was saying they’d influenced officials, others felt I was saying there were doing something wrong. I wasn’t at all – I was simply pointing to how they show their emotions in this World Cup, we all do in different ways.”
With the qualification for the next round on the line, Iran face the United States on November 29 (Tuesday), in a match that is expected to get very tense on and off the pitch.
