yes, I agree, they could have played in European leagues, but they didn't.
Many of the players back then were really semi professional. Many had second jobs. My memory of the 1978 WC was that we had players that were horrified playing Holland. Our entire TM was players from the Takhteh Jamshid who had zero experience outside of Iran. When Rashidi, who I remember watching him in games in the Amjadieh, says the players in the 70's could beat the current players, I just think he's wrong. The players today are far stronger when it comes to physical abilities and professional experience. This is not just Iranian football. It's professional sports all over the world. When we look at football players in the 60's or 70's, they are no where close to players today due to modern training programs. Rashidi saying these things is just old world mentality