Do we have the worst preparations for the World Cup?

[diz]

Most definitely. I mean, National Geographic is owned by a Saudi subsidiary and gets heavy funding from the Saudi government, and guess who prints the World Atlas? National Geographic does, guess what they print as Persian Gulf? Saudi oil money touches everything.

I thought National Geographic was recently purchased by Rupert Murdoch (ie of Fox News fame). Either way, I can see the same outcome with the robbing of the Persian Gulf name.

[nmssis]

There should have been a friendly between us

[persian-eagle-13]

the problem is that we never learn from our mistake and we keep making the same mistake over and over. in 2006 wc we said we will do things different next wc, 2014 we said the same and now we are about to play our first game in 12 days and I am not very confident about our chances. If we do anything or get any heroic results is purely because of luck and gheyrat! nothing else

[Kiarash]

4 years later and nothing has changed. It has become even worse now the only person who cared about our football (CQ) is gone. It seems like IR / IFF sabotage the preperation on purpose - this team is destined not to be succesful on world stage.

[Kiarash]

2013: 1 friendly (Oman!)
2014: 5 friendlies

2017: 6 friendlies
2018: 6 friendlies

I think we did better than last time around...still far from optimal, but many seem to forget too quickly. Quality of opposition has also increased...

2022: 0 friendlies...

[Nokhodi]

These donkeys are making me miss Taj!

[sam20]

It would be interesting to see with which countries you compare us.
For example, I doubt that Tunisia, Morocco and Panama have better friendlies.

You're in for a big surprise to be honest!

Morocco will definitely have better friendlies, Tunisia very very likely as well to have better friendlies.

Tbh even Panama will probably get better friendlies than us.

[sam20]

Short answer to this thread: ABSOLUTELY

We've always had the worst preparations in terms of opponents for friendlies.

The only exception I can ever see in this scenario is if some minnow and financially very poor country somehow makes it to the world cup for the first time and is expecting to get destroyed.... Even a team like this would probably come close to us in terms of quality opponents for friendlies.

Sorry.... Wasn't a very short answer after all lolll.

[DR Strangemoosh]

2018 we didn't even know if our players would take the pitch without shoes before the WC lol.

No one wanted to play us but we had a coach who ruffled a lot of feathers to push for friendlies and after the camp we turned up to the WC looking like one of the most well-disciplined and well-drilled sides (first 20 mins of morocco game aside), which became for many on this forum amongst the proudest moments of supporting TM.

That's what we need if we want to avoid a humiliation in this WC.

[fary-jupiter]

i realy hope skocic can us get at least 3 friendly games against balkan teams. Croatia, Serbia or Bosnia could be realistic. Maybe we are lucky again and qatar buys us some friendlys lol

[Nokhodi]

i realy hope skocic can us get at least 3 friendly games against balkan teams. Croatia, Serbia or Bosnia could be realistic. Maybe we are lucky again and qatar buys us some friendlys lol

No matches against UEFA nations (except a few much smaller teams) will be possible due to UEFA Nations League.

[Farzadfarhangni]

2018 we didn't even know if our players would take the pitch without shoes before the WC lol.

No one wanted to play us but we had a coach who ruffled a lot of feathers to push for friendlies and after the camp we turned up to the WC looking like one of the most well-disciplined and well-drilled sides (first 20 mins of morocco game aside), which became for many on this forum amongst the proudest moments of supporting TM.

That's what we need if we want to avoid a humiliation in this WC.

All of the friendlies ahead of 2018 were played ahead of May 2018 USA withdrawal from the nuclear deal except for the Turkey camp and game which was in May 2018 and was arranged and paid for ahead of time. After the nuclear deal withdrawal, when Nike withdrew their sponsorship of Iranian players, CQ's nagging did not go anywhere. And I don't believe we played any friendlies ahead of 2019 Asian Cup.

I am not defending IFF, their incompetence is undeniable. Just pointing out that sanctions have made getting things done that much more difficult.

I agree that we desperately need friendlies.

Agreed we need friendlies.

[perspolis#1]

Such a frustrating situation..

At this point, if situation is this bad just host a Marg Bar Amrika Cup.

Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia, North Korea, China, Syria. Focus on building our bench with competent subs and just getting everyone in shape. Maybe a friendly with Zenit and Spartak Moscow also.

[PSGman#19]

All of the friendlies ahead of 2018 were played ahead of May 2018 USA withdrawal from the nuclear deal except for the Turkey camp and game which was in May 2018 and was arranged and paid for ahead of time. After the nuclear deal withdrawal, when Nike withdrew their sponsorship of Iranian players, CQ's nagging did not go anywhere. And I don't believe we played any friendlies ahead of 2019 Asian Cup.

I am not defending IFF, their incompetence is undeniable. Just pointing out that sanctions have made getting things done that much more difficult.

I agree that we desperately need friendlies.

Agreed we need friendlies.

We played friendlies with SK (wilmots), Bosnia and mali (canceled bc of covid) with skocic

[Farzadfarhangni]

We played friendlies with SK (wilmots), Bosnia and mali (canceled bc of covid) with skocic

Both invited by the hosts. If we don't get invited, it is tougher... Not impossible. Of course, when we get invited to play a tournament in Japan, we should not say no!!!!