Iran defender Ehsan Hajsafi
Ehsan Hajsafi is captain of Iran's national side

Before Iran's World Cup opener against England, Ehsan Hajsafi spoke out against the situation in his country.

There have been violent anti-government protests in Iran recently.

The players support those who have died, according to the player.

He said that the conditions in the country were not right.

According to human rights activists, more than 400 protesters have been killed and 16,800 others have been arrested in the past year.

Iran's leaders say the protests are staged by the country's enemies.

At the beginning of the news conference, Hajsafi expressed his sympathies to the families who had died in Iran.

They should know that we are with them and that we sympathize with them.

The conditions in my country are not good and the players are aware of it.

It doesn't mean that we shouldn't be their voice or that they shouldn't be respected.

We have everything from them. We have to fight, we have to score goals, and we have to present the results to the Iranians.

I hope that the conditions change for the better.

The build-up to the World Cup saw calls for Iran to be kicked out of the tournament due to its alleged support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its treatment of women.

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