Iraq’s football association condemns reporters who confronted Casas

The Iraq Football Association has strongly criticized the “abhorrent behavior” displayed by journalists who confronted coach Jesus Casas after Iraq’s unexpected 3-2 defeat to Jordan in the Asian Cup last 16 on Monday. Tempers flared during the post-game press conference as reporters angrily pointed and shouted at Casas, prompting security to intervene.

Coach Casas, who took charge of Iraq in November 2022, expressed his distress about the chaotic scenes, emphasizing, “It pains me what happened.” The 50-year-old Spaniard faced additional scrutiny in a pre-match press conference where he was questioned about interviews with Spanish media during the Asian Cup, an issue that had already irked him.

In response to the incident, the Iraq Football Association released a statement expressing “great dismay” and deploring the “blatant and abhorrent behavior” towards the coach. The association vowed not to engage with media personnel involved in such disruptive actions, labeling them as seeking to “cause chaos.”

Some Iraqi journalists attribute the team’s defeat to Casas’ interviews, claiming they distracted him from his coaching duties. Casas dismissed this notion, highlighting his team’s impressive performance in the group stage, including a notable victory against pre-tournament favorites Japan.

Amidst speculation about his future, Casas remained composed, stating, “Concerning my future, I’m calm, and our goal is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.” As a former assistant coach to Luis Enrique at Spain’s national side, Casas emphasized his tranquility despite the recent setback, affirming, “Anything might happen, and I’m very calm.”