The Iraqi Football Association condemned the “abhorrent behavior” of journalists who confronted coach Jesus Casas following the team's exit from the round of 16 of the Asian Cup on Monday.
Iraq conceded two goals in stoppage time in a surprise 3-2 defeat against lower-ranked Jordan in Doha.
Tensions erupted among some Iraqi reporters at the post-match press conference, who pointed and shouted angrily at Casas, approaching him at the front of the room before security escorted them out.
“It hurts me what happened,” the 50-year-old Spaniard, who has been coaching Iraq since November 2022, said of the chaotic scenes.
The Iraqi Football Association issued a statement expressing its “deep dismay” at “the scene that was more painful than the undeserved exit of our team.”
The statement said: “We condemn the blatant and abhorrent behavior that occurred against the coach,” pledging “not to deal with these media professionals who seek to create chaos.”
Casas himself felt angry at the pre-match press conference on Sunday over a question about the interviews he gave to the Spanish media during the Asian Cup.
Some journalists from Iraq, the country that won the Asian title in 2007, believe the interviews distracted him from his work and were partly responsible for the defeat.
Casas denied this idea, pointing out that his team won all three matches in the group stage, including a 2-1 victory over Japan.
Casas, a former assistant coach to Luis Enrique in the Spanish national team, said after Jordan’s loss: “Regarding my future, I am calm and our goal is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.”
“Anything could happen and I'm very calm.”
