ANGRY Carlos Queiroz confronted a BBC reporter for asking about Iranian protests, demanding: Why don’t you ask Gareth Southgate about Afghanistan?
Iran’s players refused to sing the national anthem in support of anti-government dissenters before being battered 6-2 by England.
But coach Queiroz took exception to a journalist urging striker Mehdi Taremi – sat beside him when talking to the media ahead of facing Wales – to provide a message for those who have taken to the streets against the authoritarian regime.
The Portuguese made a beeline for the reporter at the end of the press conference.
And he insisted: “Why do you ask us these questions?
“Is it not fair to ask these questions to the other coaches?
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“Why don’t you ask Mr Southgate about England and the United States when they left Afghanistan?”
Mass protests have been met with a fierce crackdown in recent months.
They were sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September after she was detained for allegedly breaking strict rules around head coverings.
Before the outburst, Queiroz said: “It is the right of journalists but they should ask the same questions of the others causing problems around the world.
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“To make them the only people that need to give answers about human’s problems is not fair or right.
“It is time to ask other coaches and players about other issues.
“The word I use is ‘respect’ for 3,000 years of Iran. It is an amazing place.”
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Striker Taremi refused to answer an earlier question before admitting he was not worried about going back to Iran following the team’s protest.
He added: “We came here to play football – I cannot change anything.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
