🔻Hojjat Karimi, CEO of Tractor, about the team’s difficult trip to Oman for their match against Al-Shamal Qatar in the AFC Champions League said: «Finally, after nearly 16 hours, we arrived at our destination. This amount of travel, the long wait, and the fatigue of the journey put considerable pressure on the players and the members of the coaching staff.»

🔹He said: «We couldn’t even provide proper nutrition during the trip and, in practice, it took away the team’s opportunity for suitable rest and proper preparation. When players arrive at the destination after such a long and tiring journey, it’s not possible to expect that they will immediately have a high-quality and effective training session.»

🔹Karimi said: «A significant part of our time has been spent just reaching the destination, and the pre-match training will be mainly dedicated to recovery; we do not have enough opportunity for tactical training and technical preparation. In the level of the AFC Champions League competitions, this is definitely not an issue that can be easily overlooked.»

🔹He said: «Tractor has been deprived of home advantage, and now, to take part in the match as well, they have to go through a difficult route; can we expect all teams to enter the field with equal opportunities and facilities?»