Iran football coach criticizes FIFA international fixture

Iran football coach Carlos Queiroz has sharply criticized FIFA's unfair international fixture for countries outside the world’s governing football body

“One of the most difficult things that we face in Asia are (sic) the long distances,” the state-run BBC quoted the former Real Madrid coach as saying on Friday. 

The 59-year-old Portuguese national is attempting to take Iran to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 

“FIFA... gives you five days to prepare the team. If you spend four days travelling, you have one day to prepare the team,” he said. 

The Iranian squad will first travel to Qatar on June 4. It will then have one week to prepare to host Lebanon, and a week later, it will leave for a South Korean trip. 

“You cannot believe that the FIFA rules were made to support nations like Iran,” Queiroz added. 

He sarcastically said he was facing a “magician’s job” instead of a “coaching job”. 

"The FIFA rules were made to support Germany, England and Portugal. So if they keep following the international rules, they won't get anywhere,” said Queiroz, who has been coaching Iran football since April 2011. 

Expressing confidence that he would lead the Iranian squad to Brazil he said, “We have a big chance because we have everything. We have a great passion. It's fantastic. The fans are unbelievable. I think I saw it in my life probably in South America.” 

Queiroz said qualification for the World Cup in Brazil would be a dream that he would like to see come true.