«Constantly playing with Uzbekistan is lowering our reputation» — «Persepolis» coach

Unexpected and heated debates have arisen in Iranian football surrounding the national team's recent performances and opponent selection. Mehdi Tartar, head coach of «Persepolis», one of the country's current leading clubs, openly and sharply criticized the national team's current state during a press conference, objecting to its policy of choosing opponents.

The specialist stated that a serious decline is being observed in both the team's quality of play and its recorded results, emphasizing that organizing frequent matches, especially against the Uzbekistan national team, is not yielding any benefits.

«We keep playing against Uzbekistan endlessly...»

According to Mehdi Tartar, the geography of recent friendly and official matches is negatively affecting Persian football:

• The issue of competition and reputation: The coach did not hide his dissatisfaction with the monotony of opponents: «We keep playing with Uzbekistan endlessly, and this gives nothing other than lowering our team's reputation. Such problems are causing great harm to the national team», Tartar sharply emphasized;

• Lack of home matches: He added that the team's crisis is caused not only by the coaches, but also by the complex conditions in the country. Forced to play home matches on neutral grounds, the Iranian national team is deprived of fans' support and the factor of home walls.

Proposal for closed negotiations to rectify the situation

The «Persepolis» coach did not limit himself to mere criticism, stating his intention to resolve problems internally:

• Closed-format dialogue: Instead of arguing through the press, Tartar plans to hold a closed meeting with the Iranian national team's coaching staff next week;

• Practical assistance and tactical corrections: The specialist intends to personally offer his experience and practical help in squad selection, game formations, and eliminating technical shortcomings.

At a time when the Iranian and Uzbek national teams have become constant principled rivals in recent years during continental World Cup qualifiers and CAFA tournaments, such a sharp stance by the Tehran coach cannot help but attract the attention of the regional football community.