Amir Ghalenoei, the Iran coach, has criticized the country’s media for their unwarranted criticism after guiding his team to the semi-finals of the Asian Cup. He took over the national team 11 months ago, replacing Carlos Queiroz, and has taken the team one step further by beating Japan 2-1.
Ghalenoei, who led the Iranians to the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup in 2007, has been unbeaten in 16 matches since taking charge. Last year, Iran took part in the Jordan International Tournament and the CAFA Nations Cup, leading to some criticism from the media.
Speaking to reporters after receiving a standing ovation at his press conference, Ghalenoei said, “Everybody should have belief in Iranian coaches. We have a lot of good Iranian coaches who couldn’t make it to Europe because of Iran’s political situation.”
He also expressed his disappointment with the media, stating, “But you can see from the eight teams in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup, five teams were from that tournament. Three teams from those tournaments reached the semi-finals.”
Ghalenoei’s side had previously won the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup and the Jordan International Tournament, showcasing their success leading up to the Asian Cup semi-final.
Iran will be facing either Qatar or Uzbekistan in the semi-final, but Ghalenoei expressed that there is no difference for them, as they have already played both teams in the past 11 months.
He also addressed the team’s bravery, stating, “Before the knockout stage many people suggested that we should change our path to the final (to avoid top teams in the Asian Cup), but we were brave enough to play with everybody. We beat every team until this stage.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Al Rayyan, Qatar; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
