Former Spartak and Russia player, once a fan favorite, Yuri Gavrilov made sharp remarks about Iran’s recent match. According to him, Iran’s team acted as if they were on a trip, not on a football field.
“If our national team played more international matches, I’d like to see more such opponents. But this Iranian team is just a group of tourists! They don’t even seem to care about football. How did they even qualify for the World Cup? I don’t understand,” said Gavrilov.
He added that Iranian players looked like they came to Volgograd not to play but to sightsee. “They rarely come here; most have never been to Russia. For them, it was more of a trip than a match,” he said.
According to Gavrilov, Iran showed no teamwork, purpose, or energy. “A healthy team doesn’t play like that. If they are preparing for the World Cup, this is the worst kind of preparation. Teams of this level shouldn’t make such mistakes,” he said.
The former footballer also noted that Russia has to play with any available opponents but should never show a game like Iran’s “non-football.”
“There’s no meaning or activity in their play. Spending a month preparing for such a match is a waste of time,” concluded Gavrilov.
His statements sparked heated discussions among Russian football fans. Many agreed with him, calling Iran’s match “not a real test.”
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