PFDC - TEHRAN, Iran boss Carlos Queiroz hailed the passion of Iranian football fans in an interview with 'footballasia'.

"I didn't know that the Iranians are so passionate about the game. I was completely surprised when I saw Azadi stadium with 90,000 people there to see a league game. And we today have 90,00 people to see the games of the national team of Iran.

"There are not many countries in the world where you can put together all those fans to watch the national team and league games.

"I didn't expect so many fans and people crazy about football [...] and that's the best starting point to progress in the game."

The former Real Madrid and Portugal boss also once more pointed out the importance of a good preperation to fulfill his and whole Iran's dream of qualifying for the next World Cup, but also expressed his satisfaction with Team Melli's development, however, also sees room for further improvement.

"It's our job now to be ready and help the team with the best preperation program.

"I think the team had a fantastic progress, but I think we should be and can be more dominant in away games.

"We often play too cautiously and with a 'wait-and-see' attitude and I want to change that. I want that for my players and my team it doesn't matter if they play at home or away, but that they play 90 minutes with wanting to win the game in their minds."

The many fans, however also heap quite some pressure on Queiroz.

"They [the fans] are on my shoulders, I have 78 millions Iranians here on my shoulder", a laughing Queiroz said.

"That's why I need to be very accurate and demanding with the program to prepare the national team.

"I think the Iranian fans really deserve qualification, they really deserve to be in the World Cup, because they are so passionate, and like this game, football, so much.

"When you have 78 million football fans - those are the countries who deserve to be at the World Cup.

"But it's not all about deserving, it's about doing it, it's about making everything to make it happen."

Queiroz also wasn't shy of demanding the most of every player to reach the goals.

"The most important thing for a professional player is not to lie to football. That means to wake up every day to work hard and to be ready to become a better player and a better personality in the game.

"Millions of people dream to be a football player, but only few of them are born with the skills to be a professional player.

"So it is not acceptable to me that a person chosing that profession doesn't respect himself, doesn't respect the game and doesn't wake up every day with the strong wish, the strong desire and the strong ambition to become a better player.

"By doing that he helps the team, he helps the country, he helps the club and at the end of the day, he helps football to grow up, which is the most important thing."



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