Klinsmann, Queiroz in Heated Spat ahead of Iran-US Clash at World Cup

19 November 2022, Qatar, Doha: Former German footballer Jurgen Klinsmann speaks during the FIFA Technical Study Group presentation at the Main Media Center ahead of the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup. (dpa)
19 November 2022, Qatar, Doha: Former German footballer Jurgen Klinsmann speaks during the FIFA Technical Study Group presentation at the Main Media Center ahead of the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup. (dpa)
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Klinsmann, Queiroz in Heated Spat ahead of Iran-US Clash at World Cup

19 November 2022, Qatar, Doha: Former German footballer Jurgen Klinsmann speaks during the FIFA Technical Study Group presentation at the Main Media Center ahead of the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup. (dpa)
19 November 2022, Qatar, Doha: Former German footballer Jurgen Klinsmann speaks during the FIFA Technical Study Group presentation at the Main Media Center ahead of the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup. (dpa)

The Iranian football federation and national team coach Carlos Queiroz have angrily hit back at former Germany great Jurgen Klinsmann for saying that Iran's World Cup players use dirty tactics because it's in their “culture."

Both the federation and Queiroz on Sunday called for Klinsmann to resign from FIFA’s technical study group, while the Iranian federation said it demands an apology from the former Germany and United States national team coach. The federation asked FIFA for “immediate clarification” on the matter.

Klinsmann, who coached the United States from 2011-16 and led Germany to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, said Friday it's the Iranian players’ “culture” to play dirty and use tricks to turn the referee in their favor as he was commentating on Iran’s win over Wales for British broadcaster BBC.

Iran plays the United States in a decisive Group B match on Tuesday.

“That’s their way of doing it. And that’s why Carlos Queiroz, he fits really well (with) the Iranian national team,” said Klinsmann, who also disparaged players from Central America. “I worked for the US for six years. They went to Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica. This fits their culture.”

Queiroz, who is from Portugal, responded on Sunday, when he accused the former Germany forward of having "a typical prejudiced judgment of superiority.”

“Those remarks about Iran Culture, Iran National Team and my Players are a disgrace to Football,” Queiroz wrote on Twitter.

As a member of FIFA’s technical study group, Klinsmann is supposed to “provide cutting-edge analysis” of all the matches at the tournament “while increasing and developing understanding of the game across the world,” according to the governing body.

Klinsmann tried to row back on his comments on Sunday, telling BBC Breakfast they had been “taken out of context.”

“I have never criticized Carlos or his bench,” said Klinsmann, who had criticized Queiroz for failing to qualify for the World Cup with both Colombia and Egypt before he returned for his second stint as Iran coach.

"All I described was basically their emotional way of doing things which is actually admirable in a certain way."

Queiroz invited Klinsmann to visit Iran’s national team camp to see for himself how much the players “love and respect” soccer, but called on the German to resign from FIFA’s group because of his “outrageous remarks” first.

Klinsmann was invited by the Iranian federation, too.

“Being a German, it is promised that Mr. Klinsmann will not be judged for the most shameful episode of the World Cup History, the ‘Disgrace of Gijon’ 82, when West Germany and Austria fixed a result,” the federation said. “As a former player, he will not be judged by his famous dramatic dives.”



Osaka Earns First Grass Win of the Season with Victory over Qualifier Danilovic

Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova during the Berlin WTA tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova during the Berlin WTA tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
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Osaka Earns First Grass Win of the Season with Victory over Qualifier Danilovic

Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova during the Berlin WTA tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova during the Berlin WTA tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka fired 16 aces past Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic to earn a 7-6(6) 7-6(4) victory at the Bad Homburg Open on Monday for her first win on grass this season less than a week before the start of Wimbledon.

The 27-year-old Japanese player, who had lost in the first round at her last two tournaments -- the French Open and the Berlin Open -- had won her first title in May in almost two years following a maternity break.

Osaka, who had reached the third round of the Australian Open in January before retiring injured, has not had back-to-back wins on any surface since the Italian Open in May. She is currently ranked 56th in the world.

"It's my first grasscourt win of the year," Reuters quoted Osaka as saying. "I am excited about that. I am super excited to play here and be back for my next round."

Asked whether she was on track to improve her form on the surface, she said: "I hope so. I think I have potential but everyone is really good so I cannot take it for granted."

The pair held serve to take the first set into a tiebreak where Osaka snatched it on her second set point.

Osaka was 40-0 up on her opponent's serve at 2-2 in the second set but she could not bag the first break of either player in the match, with Danilovic holding serve with her eighth ace of the match.

Osaka, however, got the mini-break she needed in the tiebreak when she challenged a Danilovic first serve that was then ruled out, with the qualifier then double-faulting.

She held on to that slim advantage to earn a spot in the round of 16 where she will face fifth-seed Emma Navarro.

Russian eighth-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova also eased into the next round with a 6-1 6-2 win over Swiss Belinda Bencic.

Croatia's Donna Vekic made equally light work of sixth seed southpaw Diana Shnaider for a 6-3 6-3 victory.

Clara Tauson of Denmark needed to work harder and battle from a set down before snatching a 6-7(6) 6-3 6-3 against Poland's Magdalena Frech.