Younis Mahmoud breaks his silence after exit from Gulf Cup 27

Iraqi Football Association President Younis Mahmoud has broken his silence following the painful and dramatic exit from the Gulf Cup 27 in Saudi Arabia, which came through a draw in favour of Oman after everything was equal. This comes after a wave of widespread criticism directed at the association, accusing it directly of undermining professional players abroad and marginalising them in favour of local players.

Mahmoud stated in press remarks following the elimination, in response to a question about his fight against expatriates:

"This statement is not true and it is destructive for the country. There are some channels and analysts who demand that professional players from abroad should not come, and I believe this incites destruction for the country and the national team, which is not true. The national team belongs to everyone, not just a specific group."

Mahmoud added, clarifying his position regarding the criticisms that have even targeted his family in recent days:

"I have no problem with you talking about me and my federation and criticizing me day and night, but the players have their privacy and the players belong to you, not just to me, and we must not be harsh on them. It could be the circumstances of the match, it could be the pressure of the tournament, but the most important thing is that we have continuity and consistency in our work."

The federation president revealed the national team's strategy for the Gulf Championship, which he considered a real testing ground rather than a title competition, emphasizing that the expatriate file remains open and strong.

"We included 9 to 10 new players in the Gulf Cup 27, most of whom are playing for the first time with the senior national team, and I believe that there are some players who have not yet joined the team, including Peter Georges and Muntadhar Al-Majed, and these are part of the plan to call them up for upcoming tournaments, and there are other names we are monitoring in Europe."

Sources close to the federation have confirmed that the November squad will see a strong return of professionals, with coach Graham Arnold personally requesting to watch Peter Georgies of Ceramica Egyptian and Montader Al-Majed of Hammarby, in addition to the possible return of Zidane Iqbal and Danilo Saeed.

Mahmoud's statements come at a time when the Iraqi Football Association is facing an unprecedented financial crisis, having previously confirmed that no funds have entered the association's treasury for more than six months due to delays in government grants. He stated that he was forced to pay the dues of Ishtar TV Broadcasting Company from the association's own budget to ensure the continued broadcasting of the Iraqi Premier League matches.

Observers explain the inability of the federation to secure high-level external training camps or heavyweight friendly matches ahead of Gulf Cup 27.