Iran media blames humiliating World Cup loss on protests: ‘They threw everything’ – BBC News
Iran’s football federation says the country’s football team have been embarrassed after losing to the Netherlands in their opening World Cup match.
The Islamic republic’s football team faced a tough task in South Africa and after a shaky start at the World Cup have now lost to the Netherlands in their first match.
The Dutch, however, are in South Africa to win the championship.
Iran’s national team was humiliated by the Dutch footballers on Tuesday
‘They threw everything’
BBC Persian reports that the Islamic Republic’s football federation has claimed that the team did not deserve to play in front of their home fans.
Iranian website Kargan is reporting that the nation’s top football officials and the team’s players have been summoned and face a punishment of sorts.
“We are looking at whether the team’s fans in the Islamic Republic of Iran deserved to see them play in front of them,” Kargan said quoted it as saying.
“The nation’s sports authorities are evaluating whether to give a warning to the team, to sanction it or not.”
Presidential spokesperson Esmail Kazemi told state-run news agency IRNA that those responsible for Iran’s disappointing loss should receive “an appropriate punishment.”
“The nation’s sports officials are considering what to do to the football team’s fans in the Islamic nation, and will announce a decision later,” Kazemi said.
“Those responsible have been reprimanded and face an appropriate punishment.”
The Dutch footballers, who are currently in South Africa to win a cup, are currently top of the Fifa rankings for men’s football.
They face a tough challenge in Group D with Germany, Tunisia and Ivory Coast.
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‘I don’t know why we lost’
According to Kargan, Iran’s top football officials were summoned to the Islamic Republic’s National Sports authority on Tuesday evening.
Iran
