Iran Head Coach: Russia-Based Players ‘Huge Help’ for FIFA World Cup Team

BAKOVKA (Russia) (Sputnik) - Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz said on Wednesday that Russian Premier League players included in Iran’s 2018 FIFA World Cup team were "a huge help".

"Yes, there are three players [Mohammadi, Ezatolahi, Azmoun] who play in the Russian Premier League included in our team. They are a huge help. The guys have told us about the fans, the customs, and the conditions existing in Russia, which helped us choose the base camp for the tournament," Queiroz told journalists.

Iranian footballers became the first foreign World Cup team to set foot in Russia ahead of the tournament. The squad includes Akhmat Grozny defender Milad Mohammadi, FC Rostov midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi and Rubin Kazan striker Sardar Azmoun. Earlier on Wednesday Iran held their first training session at their base camp in Bakovka, just outside Moscow.

"We are very grateful to the Football Federation of Lithuania, who agreed to play the match in Russia," Queiroz said.

He added he was sure that his team could achieve great results at the tournament.

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Iran will face Lithuania in their final pre-World Cup friendly in Moscow on Friday.

FIFA World Cup will get underway on June 14, with the matches set to take place in 11 cities across Russia. Iran has been drawn in Group B along with 2010 World Cup winners Spain, reigning European champions Portugal and Morocco.