Iran's Dejagah backs coach Queiroz amid recent controversy

Iran national football team skipper, Ashkan Dejagah, said that it is the time to support Iran's football coach Carlos Queiroz. The Portuguese coach has come under pressure after accusing Iran's Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Massoud Soltanifar, of ordering the country's football federation not to extend his contract at the end of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I've been a member of Iran national football team, Team Melli, in the last eight years. In the 2018 World Cup, I could not help Team Melli because of injury, but Queiroz backed me up and it is time for me to stand with him until the end," Dejagah said. Iran advanced to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup quarterfinals after defeating Oman 2-0 on Sunday night at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

"I am happy for helping Team Melli win the match. From now on, we have to focus on the match against China and afterward we can think of the team we will face in the semi-finals," the Iranian captain stated.