Iran focused on fitness as training begins in Turkey after war-enforced break

Members of Iran arrive at the Antalya Airport. REUTERS

Iran’s squad have held their first training session in Turkey, and coach Amir Ghalenoei said that getting the players ready for their World Cup matches in the United States would be a challenge.

The squad arrived in Turkey on Monday to prepare for the tournament, with uncertainty still hanging over their participation after the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February. After a first closed-door session on Monday evening, they were set to train again on Tuesday.

A video shared by Iran's FA (FFIRI) showed the team warming up and playing at a training ground just outside the Turkish city of Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast.

Ghalenoei said he and his staff would have their work cut out getting the squad ready with most of the players having been out of action for the last seven weeks. The domestic Persian Gulf Pro League season was suspended after the war began.

Of the 30-man squad Ghalenoei named on Saturday, 22 play for Iranian clubs and have been restricted to a Tehran national team training camp since friendlies against Costa Rica and Nigeria in Antalya in late March.

‘Not Fully Satisfied’

"Naturally, I am not fully satisfied with the players' level of readiness," Ghalenoei told the FFIRI magazine before the departure for Turkey.

"But with a training camp that is approximately two and a half to three weeks long, we can make up about 20 to 25 percent of this shortfall.

"We need to raise our domestic-based players to the level required by the modern game," he added. "In terms of age profile, I believe our domestic players are in a good position, but there are still areas that need improvement.

"We must continue our work in the Turkey camp with determination and optimism."

Iran will play Gambia in a friendly on May 29 before Ghalenoei names his final 26-man squad for the World Cup campaign by the FIFA deadline on Jun 1.

The FFIRI still hope to schedule another friendly in Turkey and will play a behind-closed-doors match against Puerto Rico at their US base in Arizona, providing they are able to enter the country without any issues.

"I hope that in the first four or five days before our opening World Cup match, we can reach suitable physical conditions," Ghalenoei said.

"The training camp in Turkey, despite all the surrounding distractions and side issues, has become a crucial stage of our preparation."

At the World Cup, Iran will take on New Zealand on Jun 15 and Belgium on Jun 21 in Los Angeles before rounding out their group fixtures against Egypt five days later in Seattle.