Iran suspends ties with Greece over nixed friendly
TEHRAN: Iran’s football federation has suspended all relations with its Greek counterpart after a friendly between the two nations scheduled in Istanbul was abruptly cancelled amid ongoing Greece-Turkey tensions, the official IRNA news agency reported.
IRNA carried a statement by the Iranian federation, saying the cancellation inflicted “serious damage” to the Iran national team’s preparations for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The statement said Iran will take “legal action” through FIFA to force Greece to financially compensate the Iranian players and sport over the cancellation.
The friendly was scheduled for Saturday in Istanbul. IRNA said that after Greece pulled out, the Kosovo team was to take its place but that substitute friendly also got cancelled.
The friendlies were supposed to be in preparation for the World Cup.
There was no immediate reaction to the Iranian decision from the Greek Football Federation, which is separately facing the threat of international suspension over match-related violence.
GUATEMALA CLEARED
ZURICH: FIFA has lifted its suspension of the Guatemala federation, clearing the Central American country to vote in the 2026 World Cup hosting contest on June 13.
FIFA says its ruling council must ratify the decision on June 10 in Moscow. That same FIFA Council meeting must also approve the 2026 candidates, Morocco and the joint United States-Canada-Mexico bid.
Guatemalan teams and officials were suspended since October 2016 from international soccer games and business until its statutes were aligned with FIFA’s. Its return means there could be 207 eligible voters in Moscow. The four bidding federations cannot vote.
BELGIAN SQUAD OUT?
BRUSSELS: Belgium’s final World Cup squad appears to have been inadvertently revealed during a television report. Public broadcaster VRT showed footage of mattresses being loaded up by a Belgian bedding company before their departure for Russia with labels indicating the player for whom they were designated.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has named a provisional squad of 28, which will be whittled down to 23 on Monday after a friendly against Portugal on Saturday. However, based on the mattresses, the cut has already been made, given there were only 23 on show. The indication is that goalkeeper Matz Sels, defenders Christian Kabasele and Jordan Lukaku, midfielder Leander Dendoncker, winger Adnan Januzaj will not play.
SPACE CONNECTION
MOSCOW: If one of the World Cup footballs seems to behave as if there is no gravity it may just be the official ball Russian cosmonauts put through the paces on the International Space Station.
In footage released by the Russian space agency Roscosmos on Thursday, cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Anton Shkaplerov donned official FIFA World Cup T-shirts to kick a ball.
AUSSIES HOPEFUL
SYDNEY: Australia coach Bert van Marwijk is growing in confidence that Tomi Juric will be fit to take up a spot in his World Cup squad after the striker resumed full training. The Dutchman called up Jamie Maclaren as cover for Juric, who injured his knee playing for his Swiss club Luzern.