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UNSPORTSMANLIKE: IRAN REJECTS WORLD CUP DRAW OVER US VISA OBSTACLES
Iran threatens to boycott the World Cup after its federation president was denied a US visa. This political crisis puts their tournament participation in serious doubt.
Iran will not attend next week's World Cup draw in Washington. The reason? The president of their football federation couldn't get a visa to enter the U.S.
An Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) spokesperson said the visa rejection was unrelated to sport. This situation raises the possibility of Iran backing out of the whole tournament.
Iran is among 19 countries facing U.S. entry restrictions since a directive by Donald Trump in June. There was an exception for athletes, coaches, and essential support staff travelling for the World Cup or other major sporting events. But it seems this exception wasn't applied here.
The FFIRI spokesperson, Amir Mehdi Alavi, told the Tehran Times that the decisions aren't sports-related, so the Iranian delegation won't be at the World Cup draw.
The newspaper reports that FFIRI president Mehdi Taj was among three people denied visas by the U.S. State Department. Four others, including head coach Amir Ghalenoei, did get visas. In October, reports said both Taj and Ghalenoei had their visa applications turned down. The Tehran Times mentioned that the FFIRI took the issue to FIFA president Gianni Infantino directly.
Infantino had earlier promised that everyone would be welcome at the World Cup, starting June 11 in Mexico City. On October 9, he tried to ease concerns about potential visa denials for athletes or officials.
Infantino said that they had good talks with the U.S. government. He said that they had a White House task force. He said that there wouldn't be visa problems for participating teams and delegations, and they're working on something for fans, too.
FIFA has since confirmed the FIFA Pass. It's a program where World Cup ticket holders get priority access to the visa application process before the tournament. But applications aren't guaranteed to succeed. Politico reports that fans from Haiti—who made it to their second World Cup last week but are also on Trump's restricted travel list—can apply for visas but might still be denied.
WILFRIED NANCY: CELTIC BOSS BLOCKS OUT ALL "NOISE" AND CRITICISM AFTER HEARTS LOSS
After the heat following the Hearts' loss, Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy stated he has "blocked everything out," including social media criticism, to focus solely on the team's performance.
Celtic's head coach, Wilfried Nancy, said he tunes out all the noise when making decisions as a manager.
This comes after the Frenchman faced some heat after a 2-1 loss to Heart of Midlothian in his first game with the Glasgow team.
Before the Europa League match against AS Roma, Nancy said he doesn't pay attention to what others think.
When asked if those opinions bother him, he told a press conference, "That's a good question."
I'll be honest.
Every team I've coached—when I decided to become a coach—well, when I had the chance to become a coach, I'd been an assistant for seven years, working with many coaches.
I always told myself that when I became a coach, I'd block everything out. And that's exactly what I did.
He said he's built a wall between himself and any outside opinions, even online criticism.
I've blocked anything on Twitter that mentions my name, the club, or what people are saying.
People can say what they want. It's part of the job, and that's what we prepare for. I'm not here to comment on everything.
The manager explained that ignoring public opinion helps him focus on what he can control to improve how the team plays.
He used an analogy about how everyone has different tastes, like when people have different experiences with the same food.
We could visit a restaurant together, and you might love the food, while I don't.
Get what I mean? You like it, and I don't.
Nancy made his goals clear: he's focused on his players and the club and wants to do his best to give good performances.
He wrapped up by saying, At the end of the day, it's part of the job. I control what I can to be good with my players, my club, and the people I work with and to make sure we have the best chance of winning by playing well.
His team will play AS Roma in the Europa League tomorrow.
PEACE PRIZE SCRUTINY: FIFA FACES FORMAL COMPLAINT ABOUT UNILATERAL DONALD TRUMP AWARD
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is accused of four breaches of the ethics code by FairSquare, including awarding the first FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump at the World Cup draw.
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After the World Cup draw last week, FIFA is facing a formal complaint about political neutrality. FairSquare, a nonprofit, sent FIFA’s Ethics Committee a detailed letter pointing out four possible violations by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the event, one of which was giving out the FIFA Peace Prize.
Calls for FIFA to Look Into It
FairSquare's complaint follows the World Cup draw. At the event, the awarding of the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize was part of several mentions of President Donald Trump. FIFA said the award recognised Trump’s work in promoting peace and unity around the world.
FairSquare believes that giving the prize, along with other things that happened during the event, might have gone against FIFA’s policy of being politically neutral. They've requested the ethics committee to look into the decision to create and give out the FIFA Peace Prize and whether it followed FIFA’s rules.
Infantino and Trump
Infantino and Trump have met a few times over the years, which isn't unusual, as FIFA presidents often meet with leaders from different countries. During the draw, Infantino made some comments about Trump.
He said he was surprised by negative comments about Trump. He stated that, regardless of not being American, Trump was elected in the United States, and one should respect the results of a democratic election.
FairSquare's complaint argues that these statements show a political stance, breaking FIFA’s neutrality rules.
FIFA's Ethics Code
FIFA's ethics code says that the organisation should stay neutral when it comes to politics. It specifically says FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion, also requiring everyone bound by the code to remain politically neutral when dealing with government groups.
Infantino has met with Trump a few times, including an invitation to the presidential inauguration and visits to the Oval Office.
Acting Alone
The Peace Prize given to Trump has been questioned, as it seems it was decided on and awarded without talking to senior FIFA officials. High-ranking FIFA officials were unaware of the award before its announcement. The award was revealed on the same day Infantino spoke at an event in the United States.
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