Asian Cup 2015: Fined Iran coach Carlos Queiroz refuses to criticise Suncorp Stadium surface

STUNG by a $3000 fine, Iran coach Carlos Queiroz was reluctant to take a swipe at the Suncorp Stadium pitch ahead of his side’s Asian Cup clash with UAE.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 11: Carlos Queiroz coach of IR Iran gestures during the 2015 Asian Cup match between IR Iran and Bahrain at AAMI Park on January 11, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

STUNG by a $3000 fine, Iran coach Carlos Queiroz was reluctant to take a swipe at the Suncorp Stadium pitch ahead of his side’s Asian Cup clash against the United Arab Emirates on Monday.

Queiroz was on Sunday fined by the Asian Football Confederation for his criticism of Australian referee Ben Williams after Iran’s last-start 2-0 win over Bahrain.

The Iran boss felt Williams should have taken action against Bahrain for repeated fouls on his players.

But having been punished once for speaking out, the former Real Madrid manager was not in the mood to discuss his thoughts on the much-maligned Suncorp Stadium playing surface, parts of which were re-laid on Sunday.

“I don’t want to make comments about the pitch, the players, the opponents, the referees, or the AFC, the weather in Australia, nothing, because in my life usually when I give my opinions ... you usually pay for that, so I don’t want to be in that position,” Queiroz said.

However, when pressed, Queiroz felt it didn’t make sense to repair the pitch because it was “too late”.

“We just have to play under the conditions. I hope only one thing - that the pitch does not affect the quality of the game, because if that happens it is a pity,” he said.

After inspecting the pitch, UAE coach Mahdi Ali admitted he was disappointed with its state, saying it would be tough to achieve the AFC’s “Don’t Delay, Play” initiative, where the objective is to have the ball active and in play for at last an hour a 90-minute match.

“There are many (ways) to do that and one the main factors in this is the field,” Ali said.

“Of course, it will affect the game but we will try our best to adapt.”

Carlos Queiroz was hesitant to criticise the maligned Suncorp surface.

Both teams have six points from two matches going into the contest and have already qualified for the quarter-finals.

The UAE, who have only beaten Iran - Asia’s highest placed team in the FIFA world rankings - once in 15 meetings between the two sides, need only a draw to top the group thanks to a superior goal difference.

Despite Iran’s dominance over the UAE, Queiroz has great respect for his team’s opponents.

“Our focus is to try to play good football. I think (tonight) in my opinion we are playing the best west Asian team,” said Queiroz, a former UAE coach.

“They’ve played together for many years, since under 17 - some of the players could play with each other with their eyes closed.

“They know exactly where the others are, what they do, what they can expect. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Fined Iran coach Carlos Queiroz refuses to criticise Suncorp Stadium surface