Nike will not supply boots to Iran for World Cup
Just days ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, sports company Nike has stated that it would not provide football boots to the Iran national team players. This comes as a huge blow to the Iran side, with players now left in a lurch. The move comes after Nike said that US sanctions are preventing them from supplying the boots.
Nike issues a statement post this decision
Nike issued a statement saying that it won't be able to supply the boots to Iran. The statement read that Nike will have to oblige with these US sanctions since it is an American company. Iran football officials were left baffled by this decision. They said that, in 2014, Nike had supplied boots despite the nation being under US sanctions.
Big blow to players right before the tourney
Iran coach Carlos opined that this sort of move would hamper their preparations. He said that the players get used to sports equipment and it's not right to force them to change the boots at this stage. The players have asked the non-Iranian players in their clubs to lend them the boots. Some players have also bought boots from stores.
Move comes during a tense phase between US and Iran
The decision comes after US president Donald Trump has re-imposed sanctions that had been waived off earlier. Tense moments lie between the two capitals - Washington and Tehran. Trump-led US Government has also pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
Know about Iran in the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Iran are placed in Group B alongside Morocco, Spain and Portugal. The Iranian team kick off their campaign against Morocco on June 15 (Friday) at 8:30 PM. They next take on Spain on June 20, followed by a game against Portugal on June 25. Both those matches are scheduled at 11:30 PM. One can catch Iran's matches live on the Sony Ten network.
