31.03.2025 08:40
Ismail Kartal refused to shake hands with the opposing team's coach, Mehdi Rahmati, after the match in which Persepolis lost 3-2 to Shams Azar.
In the Iranian League, İsmail Kartal's team Persepolis lost 3-2 away to Shams Azar Qazvin.
REFUSED TO SHAKE HANDS
After the final whistle, a dispute broke out between the benches of the two teams. İsmail Kartal refused to shake hands with the opposing team's head coach Mehdi Rahmati.
Evaluating the match after the game, İsmail Kartal said, "We did not show the quality I expected. Many of our national players were tired. We had a few injured players who could not train well last week, but these should not be excuses."
Kartal continued, "Persepolis must fight and play well every time they step onto the field. Our opponent fought very well and deserved to win; I congratulate them, but I also want to say this: we are a team that wants to play football."
"THERE IS NO SUCH TIME WASTING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD"
Expressing his reaction to the referees of the match, İsmail Kartal said, "There is no such time wasting anywhere in the world! Referees should allow the game to speed up. In every match, the opposing bench puts pressure on the referee. Here, I am seeing things I have never seen before, and these are not normal."
Finally, Kartal stated, "We will do everything we can until the end of the season. We have to continue with the players we have. We must continue the season. We want to win the upcoming matches. The players should learn a lesson from this match."