In a conversation with Mehr’s reporter, Mohammad Nouri said about the status of Esteghlal in the last two weeks of the league: They marginalized Esteghlal so much that this team lost its focus. They discriminated a lot and the federation and league organization tried for a special team. The words of the CEO of Persepolis showed that not only the current minister but also the previous minister does all the work of this team so that there are no problems.
He added: Esteghlal was in a mess before the derby and the oil industry. Many problems caused the focus of this team to disappear. The players were mentally confused and all this went hand in hand until Esteghlal lost 5 important points in these two matches and now they have to try so that maybe things will happen that they can achieve the championship.
The football expert went on to say: If the referees were just and fair, Esteghlal should have been at the top of the table with 7 points more than the competitors, but unfortunately, the mistakes were so many that Esteghlal lost many points and could not remain at the top.
He emphasized: Now is the time to support Sapinto. It is true that he has some weaknesses, but I wonder why some people stopped supporting him after two games. He needs support. Esteghlal fans should know that whether a foreign or domestic coach takes over the leadership of Esteghlal. We should all support him, while Sapinto showed that he is not looking for money and prefers the success of the team to his demands.
In response to the question whether Esteghlal can win the championship at the end of the season, Nouri said: On paper, it has little chance and it will be difficult, but it is not impossible. There is a possibility that Sepahan and Persepolis will lose three points. Therefore, Esteghlal should focus on these two games in order to leave the field victorious.
Criticizing the refereeing of this season, which raised the voice of all the teams, the football expert said: The refereeing was awful. Everyone is protesting, and it is strange that Mr. Afsharian, who himself was a big margin maker during his judging days, has now assumed the chairmanship of the referees’ committee, and this shows the weakness of our football officials.
He emphasized: “Now is the time to implement the VAR system in our football as soon as possible to minimize refereeing mistakes.”
In the end, Nouri said regarding Esteghlal’s match against Mes on Friday: Esteghlal must finish this match with victory. It is true that on paper this team’s chances of winning the championship have decreased, but they should not lose their hope. Anything can happen in the last two weeks of the league. Therefore, the players should not only focus on the elimination cup and should prepare themselves for the match against Mes Rafsanjan and Tractor Tabriz so that they can finish both matches with victory.