Iran captain accuses English media of playing mind games

Alireza Jahanbakhsh accused the English media of trying to destabilise Iran

Iran captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh has accused the English media of trying to destabilise their preparations ahead of their World Cup opener against the Three Lions.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion captain claimed that the media are using the ongoing political unrest in Iran to play mind games before their Group B opener on Monday.

Speaking to the press in Qatar he said: “So first of all to be honest I’m not surprised you are asking this question – I think everyone is expecting this sort of question and I assume you’re from the English media probably.

“Like everyone, we’re here for our duty and our duty is to play football. To be honest, I’m not sure that if England wasn’t in our group, you would have come with this question.

“Secondly, we have been facing this already for a couple of weeks with all the English media – this was all the headlines as we get closer to the World Cup, whatever the reason is.

“To bring it this way – okay, play a mental game, ask a question about what’s going on here or there or whatever – but we have just four days to go to play one of the biggest games of our lives.

“What I’m trying to say is that we are out here to play football and that is the main thing everybody is focused on.”

🗣 "When football comes together, we can make joy and happiness for the people."

Alireza Jahanbakhsh pleads with journalists to let the Iranian players focus on the football pic.twitter.com/ewdwi1Typl

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 17, 2022

On Wednesday Iran boss Carlos Queiroz walked out of his press conference shortly after saying he would only speak about women’s rights if he was paid.

Men and women have been protesting the death of death of Mahsa Amin, a Kurdish woman who died while in police custody earlier this month as well as staging protests against the enforced wearing of hijabs for women.

Are you ok representing a country like Iran at this World Cup that represses the rights of women?” the reporter asked.

“To which channel you work?” Queiroz replied.

The reporter told him it was Sky, to which the 69-year-old said: “How much you pay me to answer that question? You are a private company, how much you pay me?