FRANCE 98 – Relaxed evening with Iran

On Wednesday 17 June, during a press conference held at Yssingeaux, Jalal TALEBI, IRAN team coach was the focus point of questions asked by American journalists. They mainly concerned his life in the USA.

Jalal TALEBI said that he had three sons. The youngest, 17, is still at school. The eldest, 25, is a university art student. Both live with their mother in the USA. In this friendly atmosphere, M. TALEBI said that he had a peaceful and comfortable life in California. He took the chance to strongly deny that IRAN were going out of the World Cup.

A Persan dinner specially organised for the Iranian delegation by M.Barot, Mayor of Yssingeaux, prolonged the pleasant and unaffected evening. He was accompanied by the Prefect and the under-Prefect of the Haute-Loire, as well as 700 other guest, mostly Iranian.

The players and their executives were able to taste a dozen specialities from their country prepared by an Iranian chef, with the help of three French cooks. These young sportsmen were able to relax in spite of the tension of these last few days. What’s more, a national team shirt was given to the organisers of the evening, who had also arranged a projection of slides showing the main Iranian tourist sites with some traditional Iranian back ground music.

M. FARAHANI, the Iranian president of the football federation, then thanked the Mayor, the Prefect and the police force as well as all other personnel involved for all their efforts in helping the Iranian team.