IRAN TEAM ASSURES ORGANIZERS IT IS ONLY HERE TO PLAY FOOTBALL, JUST TO BE SAFE

The Iran national team clarified ahead of its World Cup opener that it had come only to play football and held no further intentions. The reassurance followed a tournament buildup in which a Somali referee was detained for eleven hours at Miami and deported as a suspected security risk, several Iranian federation officials were denied visas, and the team's training camp was relocated to Mexico after it became unclear whether the squad would be admitted to the host country at all. Against this backdrop, the players wished to be very clear that they were here for the sport, and nothing else, and would be grateful if this could be noted somewhere. They have not approached the officials, commented on the officials, or made eye contact with the officials. A spokesman confirmed the team's position was football, and only football, and asked whether that was acceptable. He was told it would be reviewed.

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