Mehdi Taremi stuck in Iran, to miss FIFA Club World Cup start for Inter

Inter Milan's newly signed forward Mehdi Taremi has found himself stuck in Tehran, unable to travel amid the ongoing hostilities between Iran and Israel. As a result, he will be absent from the team's opening match at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.

 

Taremi had recently featured for Iran in a World Cup qualifier, where he contributed a goal in their 3-0 win over North Korea. However, due to the escalating geopolitical situation, commercial flights out of Iran have been disrupted, preventing the 32-year-old from joining his club in Los Angeles.

 

A representative from Inter Milan confirmed to AFP that Taremi remains in Iran and is currently unable to make the journey to the United States. His absence will be felt as Inter prepares to face Mexican side Monterrey on Tuesday at the historic Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena. 

 

 

The Club World Cup fixture will also mark the managerial debut of Cristian Chivu, who was appointed head coach following the departure of Simone Inzaghi. Inzaghi stepped down after Inter suffered a heavy 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final.

 

During a press briefing held at Inter’s training base in Beverly Hills, Chivu, the 44-year-old former Romanian international, expressed both optimism and reflection.

 

"We’re coming off a season that had its ups and downs, but we shouldn't overlook the achievements," Chivu said. "This squad demonstrated incredible quality. We reached the final stages in both Serie A and the Champions League." 

 

Chivu also pushed back against the notion that the season was a failure. "Failure only exists when you stop trying or start making excuses. Eliminating teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona shows our strength. We were among Europe’s elite for much of the season."

 

Despite the turbulent start to his tenure, Chivu remains focused on rebuilding momentum as Inter looks to capture international silverware, even as they begin their campaign without one of their key attacking players.