Usa-Iran at high voltage: the flag, Klinsmann and Queiroz

Beyond football, beyond the weight of a challenge that is worth qualifying for the round of 16 of the World Cup: the tension rises over the United States-Iran on Tuesday. The United States Football Federation has sided in support of the revolt of Iranian women: on its social channels it has shown the flag of Iran without the emblem of the Islamic Republic.

The support

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After a few hours the official explanation arrived, it is a choice to show “support for women in Iran who are fighting for fundamental human rights” with the demonstrations that lit up the country after the death on 16 September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was was arrested by the morality police for not wearing a headscarf.

The reactions

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Iranian media have not yet commented on the US Football Federation’s decision, but several social media accounts have published the original image of the Iranian flag in response to the post. The emblem of the Islamic republic, designed in 1980, consists of four curves with a sword in the middle. It represents the Islamic saying: “There is no god but God”. Also at the top and bottom of the flag are 22 inscriptions of “God is great,” which honors the Persian calendar date when the Islamic revolution took place. After the success with Wales in Tehran, the riot police – the same ones that repress the protests – waved the Iranian flag in the streets.

The former coach

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The tension also arrives on the bench. The Portuguese coach of Iran, Carlos Queiroz, reacted harshly to the words of Jurgen Klinsmann, the former US coach who commented on the behavior on the pitch to the BBC on the occasion of the Iranians’ victory over Wales: “This is no coincidence, it’s all done on purpose. It’s part of their culture and how they play, they have worked the referee to perfection. The bench was always jumping or talking to the linesman or the fourth man on the sideline. This is their culture and their way of doing things and that’s why Queiroz is perfect for the Iranian national team.” With a post on Instagram Queiroz called for Klinsmann’s resignation from the FIFA Technical Commission for Qatar 2022: “These comments about Iranian culture, the Iranian national team and my players are a disgrace for football. No one can hurt our integrity, especially if it’s not on our level. We would like to invite Klinsmann to our retreat, to mingle with Iran’s players and to learn about Iranian people, poets, artists, mathematics, its millennia of history and its lost culture. We would like to know what FIFA’s decision will be regarding his position as a member of the Qatar 2022 Technical Study Group. We hope he will opt out before visiting our training camp.”