🔻Ricardo Saprinto, the former Esteghlal coach, in an interview with Fars News Agency, criticized Ali Tagarania, the chairman of the board of Esteghlal, over multiple alleged interventions in the team’s lineup as well as his choices.

🔹He said: «My dispute with Tagarania started when he wanted to impose a player on me, which I refused to accept. Through an agent, he intended to impose a player named Ali Sajayi, who also did not have high quality, on me, but when I refused, he got upset with me.»

🔻Sapinto also claimed that he was told that Saeed Fattahi had been added to Esteghlal for communication with referees: «They told me that, through his non-football connections with referees and managers of the Professional Football Organization, he can do something so that the referees and the bodies of the federation and the Professional Football Organization would be kinder to our team.»

🔹The former Esteghlal coach also claimed that Tagarania had opposed the presence of Yaser Asani at Esteghlal: «I am very happy that Asani is shining at Esteghlal. Tagarania was definitely opposed to signing Asani. I spent several weeks making many requests and pleas so that he would be signed. I’m happy that my insistence to sign Asani paid off.»

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