Sardar Azmoun vows to retire from the national team

Persianfootball.com – TEHRAN, Iran striker Sardar Azmoun announced his retirement from the national team with immediate effect on his Instagram Account on Thursday.

The 23-year-old striker names the heavy and often below the line criticism of his World Cup performance as reason not wanting to play for the national team again. Azmoun also mentioned the illness of his mother, which according to him worsened due to the public criticism.

The Rubin Kazan forward had played the full 90 minutes in each of Iran’s three matches in Russia, but despite displaying a lot of fighting spirit, failed to live up to the high expectations from the Iranian fans.

Azmoun, known for his temper and his undiplomatic social media usage, is hoped to reconsider his decision before January’s Asian Cup.

A day earlier, veteran striker Reza Ghoochannejhad had announced his retirement from Team Melli. The 30-year-old was part of the Iranian World Cup squad, but didn’t get any playing time. He thanked all the fans and the coaching staff for unforgettable six years, but expressed his feeling it was time to move on.