Iran: A coach reveals he sensed war coming before leaving Esteghlal | OneFootball

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Survival instinct drove the Portuguese to leave before the bombings

Iran: A coach reveals he sensed war coming before leaving Esteghlal

Two days before the bombings began, Portuguese coach Ricardo Sá Pinto left the Iranian club Esteghlal FC, officially citing “personal reasons.” But this Thursday, in an interview on CNN Portugal, the coach finally revealed the real reasons for his departure—directly connected to the tense atmosphere and the looming conflict in Iran.

In his account, the former Esteghlal manager explained that he left the country more than a week before the military escalation. According to him, several warning signs made him aware of the imminent conflict. “I left Iran more than a week ago, two or three days before the conflict started. I anticipated what was coming—my departure is directly related to this geopolitical situation. The atmosphere was tense, people were scared, and I received information about what was going to happen in the very near future. I knew it was only a matter of days,” he said.

The Portuguese coach described a heavy atmosphere in the streets, marked by fear and tensions linked to the protests.

A climate of fear and violence

According to Ricardo Sá Pinto, the situation gradually deteriorated to the point of affecting daily life. The coach says he even avoided going out in the evenings due to security concerns. “From the start of the protests, the atmosphere was tense—I avoided going out after 6 p.m. Many people died, and people don’t realize it. The protesters were generally peaceful,” he stated.

The Portuguese also recounted hearing numerous stories of violence targeting young demonstrators, mentioning scenes that deeply affected him during his time in the country.

Stories that left a mark

Among the stories he says he heard, the former Portuguese international mentioned the death of a footballer he had faced a few years earlier. According to his account, the man was with his family when gunfire broke out. “Young people and children died. A footballer died—he had played against me three years ago. He was with his family… They were all taken to hospital, and the father died on the spot,” he explained.

The former Esteghlal coach finally stated that many images and videos of these events were never broadcast in Europe, leaving, in his view, a part of the reality on the ground in the shadows.