Iran coach Carlos Queiroz previously said he would not penalize players who remain silent during the national anthem. Hajsafi also emphasized that his team could play a role in pushing for changes in the country.
“We have to accept the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy. We are here but that doesn’t mean we should not be their voice or we must not respect them,” said Hajsafi.
Whatever we have is from them. We have to fight. We have to perform and score some goals to present the brave people of Iran with a result. I hope conditions change as to the expectations of the people,” explained the AEK Athens player.
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Over the past two months, Iranians have protested over Amini’s death, in what is the boldest protest against Iran’s theocratic leaders since the 1979 revolution. The Guardian says 380 have been killed in the protests, while the BBC estimated the number to be more than 400.
Unfortunately, Iran was defeated by England by a score of 2-6. Even so, the Iranian fans were still happy that Mehdi Taremi managed to score two goals. (rr)