Iran coach Carlos Queiroz confronts journalist over question on protests
Iran manager Carlos Queiroz asked the journalist: "Why you don't ask to Southgate these kind of questions?"
Carlos Queiroz confronted a BBC journalist after Iran's latest World Cup press conference was overshadowed by questions surrounding unrest in the country.
He went on to ask why Gareth Southgate doesn't face a similar interrogation.
Widespread demonstrations have taken place in the country following the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody back in September - after she was arrested for allegedly wearing a headscarf inappropriately.
Hundreds of people have died as a result of the state's attempts to stamp out the protests.
The growing unrest and heavy-handed behaviour of authorities has led to calls for Iran's expulsion from the competition.
Players for the national side also elected not to sing the national anthem ahead of their 6-2 defeat to England earlier this week, to show solidarity with protestors.
Mr Queiroz voiced his support for press freedom, but when he and Iran forward Mehdi Taremi were pressed on the issue again, he approached a BBC journalist after the press conference and said: "Why you don't ask to Southgate these kind of questions."
Both Queiroz and Taremi were adamant they only wanted to talk about football and not anything political to do with Iran.
“They have the right, the press have the right to make the questions that they understand are the right questions,” he said.
“It is important that if we answer whatever we want, you also need to respect that. We don’t want to mix those kind of issues in the moment that you’re playing football."
He did, however, answer a Press TV (Iran state media) question about Western journalists being wrong to ask about the protests, saying that all journalists have a right to ask whatever questions they choose.
He said: “They have the right, the press have the right to make the questions that they understand are the right questions.”
“It is important that if we answer whatever we want, you also need to respect that. We don’t want to mix those kind of issues in the moment that you’re playing football."
He added: "I am talking with you. I ask for the pleasure to talk with you. I am asking one thing to you now the press conference is finished. Do you think it is fair also to ask other questions to other coaches?
That is the only question I make. Why don’t you ask the other coaches? Why don’t you ask Southgate: ‘What do you think about England, the United States and [pulling out of] Afghanistan?”
He also suggested it was unfair to put political questions to a footballer.
Porto striker Taremi, who put two past England, was reluctant to answer politically motivated questions, but insisted he and his teammates were not concerned about the consequences of their own protests at the competition.
It comes after Iran arrested a prominent former member of its national football team over his criticism of the government as authorities grapple with nationwide protests that have cast a shadow over the team as it competes in the World Cup before a global audience.
It was reported that Voria Ghafouri was arrested for “insulting the national soccer team and propagandising against the government.”
Ghafouri, who was not chosen to go to the World Cup, has been an outspoken critic of Iranian authorities throughout his career, objecting to a longstanding ban on women spectators at men’s football matches as well as Iran’s confrontational foreign policy, which has led to crippling Western sanctions.
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