Category: Sports & Games

13/11/2019

FIFA warns against crowd misbehaviour.

In what is expected to be a politically inspired encounter by the Iraqi side, FIFA has issued a warning against any Iraqi fans expression of political opinions by any means.

The International Football governing body warning to the Iraqi fans after before Iraq’s sensitive it had mandated a venue change and a move out of Iraq because of protests and insecurity currently prevailing in Iraq, FIFA warning to the Iraqi side included the players, as well as several, have been reported taking active participation in the protests or by the means of social media.. Admission of banners and flags (except for Iraq’s flag) or banners expressing a political view or even sympathy to a party or persons are strictly forbidden, an Iraqi Sport website wrote.

It is also rumoured that the Iraqi team is awaiting clearance from FIFA to agree to a one minute silence in respect to over 280 people who lost their lives in Iraq recently in the clashes between demonstrators and security forces. FIFA also refused Iraqi players wearing a black armband. The Jordanians are taking no chances as they have prepared around 3,350 security personnel and anti-riot brigades to secure the match on Thursday.

13/11/2019

Nervous Iraqi federation fear spell over of politics and unrest in the match.

On Thursday, Iraq will be hosting Iran in Amman after FIFA ordered the match to be played outside the country due to security concerns.

However, the match in the Qualifying Round 4 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the AFC Asian Cup in Amman, is far from a being a safe and secure event as predicted by the Iraqi officials. The match has become politically sensitive because of the riots and protests in Iraq, in addition to the traditional rivalry between the national teams of the two countries. Officials of the Iraqi Football Federation are seeking to prevent any political and racist issues from affecting the match to avoid further sanctions by FIFA.

Fresh clashes between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters broke out on Friday in Iraq killing at least three people, despite a call for calm by the country’s top Shi’ite cleric, as authorities grapple with the nation’s biggest crisis in years. More than 280 people have been killed since the protests started over what looks on the surface as protests against corruptions and unemployment but instigated and induced by foreign and Arab secret services to destabilize the country.

According to the Iraqi al-Ghad Press website, a trilateral meeting will be held today with officials from the Iraqi Football Federation, the Jordanian Federation and the Iraqi Embassy in Amman to assess the security conditions of the match as well as Iraq’s next match hosting Bahrain in the same qualifiers. In addition to monitoring the crowd entering the stadium and full security implementation like body searches, the meeting will examine Iraqi officials calls on social media networks for support by its people, including wearing masks during the match. Banners that have political or racial slurs against one another will be prevented from entering into the stadium. All efforts to de-politicize the match have been taken.

“The Iraqi federation and the embassy in Jordan are trying very hard not to allow political slogans, dissent and sectarian chants to be demonstrated in the arena because FIFA has always been intolerant to politics and racism and anything that causes spreads and promotes hate,” the Al-Ghad website continued. The Iraqi Federation and its embassy are also trying to keep politics away from the stadium in fear of possible consequences on the Jordanian people and the sensitivity of Jordan itself which saw recent riots of its own.

“There has been a lot of effort over the past three days to ensure the fans to be in the stadium just to support the Iraqi team.” it added

06/11/2019

FIFA declares Basra as unsafe venue.

Within one week of the FIFA World Cup 2022 match, the world football governing body finally realized that the venue is not safe.

Today in Zurich , FIFA announced that Iraq is not safe enough to host World Cup qualifying games against Iran and Bahrain. FIFA says it asked the Iraq soccer federation “to nominate a neutral venue” for the matches on Nov. 14 and 19.

The games were to be played in Basra, the southern city which hosted Iraq’s return last month to playing competitive games at home.

Iraq has rarely staged home games since the 1980s because of security concerns.

Turmoil in Iraq in recent weeks has been fueled and instigated by what is commonly believed by some hostile Arab governments concerned by Iran’s political influence in Iraq. On the surface, the riots and demonstrations seem to be due to economic problems and government corruption, however, the real motive is to express dissatisfaction with Iran’s role and blame the Islamic Republic for the ills of the nation. Team Melli’s faced a serious risk being in a hostile environment when even Iranian ordinary Iranian pilgrims to Karbala and Najf were discouraged by Iranian authorities. after the closure of the border crossings.

11/10/2019

FIFA President’s statement on today’s match in Tehran

10.Oct.2019

FIFA.com

For the first time in nearly 40 years, several thousand women have been allowed into a stadium in IR Iran to watch a football match played by men.

This is a very positive step forward, and one which FIFA, and especially Iranian girls and women, have been eagerly waiting for. The passion, joy and enthusiasm they showed today was remarkable to see and encourages us even more to continue the path we have started. History teaches us that progress comes in stages and this is just the beginning of a journey.

Consequently, FIFA now looks more than ever towards a future when ALL girls and women wishing to attend football matches in IR Iran will be free to do so, and in a safe environment.

There can be no stopping or turning back now.

I would like to thank both the IR Iran FA, the AFC and the authorities involved for their efforts and cooperation. FIFA will continue to work closely with them, to help ensure that the right thing is done, which is to allow all fans, irrespective of gender, to have the chance to go to the stadiums and enjoy a game of football. Since I arrived at FIFA, we fight to see this objective fulfilled.

But, above all, today I want to say a very big thank you and record our utmost respect to all of the Iranian girls and women who courageously stood and are standing up for their rights.

09/10/2019

Demand for Cambodia match by females overtakes male fans.

While Team Melli will face Cambodia at Azadi Stadium on Thursday evening, women have bought more tickets than men up to this Wednesday morning according to the latest figures on electronic ticket sales.

Team Melli is playing its second match in the group and the first home game at Azadi Stadium as part of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group Qualifier.

Out of a total of about 75,000 seats available for sale, only 2500 eTickets were bought by male spectators. E-ticketing started on Thursday, October 5th at 9 pm, from the moment the e-ticketing began females purchased 3500 tickets. It is clear that females were eager to grab the tickets fearing high demand on the limited number of seats available to them.

In the one week that had passed since the launch of the electronic ticketing system. 6,000 seats were sold, however, the actual attendance is expected to be much higher with last-minute purchases.

The 100,000 capacity Azadi Stadium is limited to 75,000 spectators. This restriction is due to safety concerns and the number of seats installed.

The foreign press has wrongly reported that Iran-Cambodia match on Thursday is the first time that females will be allowed to attend a football match in Iran since the revolution. The fact is, females have attended many games before after the authorities have eased that restriction on several occasions without dispensing of the official restrictions which were still practised until recently. There is no clear cut laws in Iran that prevent women from attending matches. Volleyball has the highest number of female attendance in all sports in Iran.

a Meanwhile, horde of foreign media is attending the match as Iran has been under scrutiny for banning women from stadiums. The bans are not a football federation or government mandate but powerful clerics have been publically calling for such ban arguing that females must be shielded from masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men. Iranian females have always been actively participating in social activities without any restrictions including the right to drive, working in a mixed environment and travelling on their own. The Islamic revolution has put many restrictions on women one of which is the forceful wearing of headscarves and full-body cladding.

For this match, with the world and particularly FIFA the governing body watching closely, the authorities seem to have prepared quite well for the female entrance to Azadi with even special parking reserved for female drivers. There also special washrooms and facilities for females only. The parking in Azadi, one of the more difficult parts of attending a match there, in itself would have encouraged more female attendance.

02/10/2019

World Media in suspense for the Iran-Cambodia match, and it has little to do with game-plans!!

The Public Relations Manager of Ministry of Youth and Sports announced that 21 foreign media outlets from 21 countries have applied for media credentials to cover the match between Iran and Cambodia in Azadi Stadium on 10th October 2019.

The match will be observed by a FIFA delegation to ensure that women are allowed in the stadium as per FIFA regulations. According to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, journalists, photographers and cameramen from various networks and news agencies are seeking coverage of the Iran-Cambodia World Cup qualifiers,

Iranian female spectators are supposed to be allowed in the stadium for the match which will be subject to FIFA oversight.

It is clear that international media care less about the result of the match and more concerned with the case of Iranian women entry into football stadiums. Although the government and FFIRI have assured FIFA and confirmed that the authorities will have no objections in controlled entry and segrations of women, a recent statement by Iranian Attorney General has put a question mark on the whole affair.

Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, Iran’s chief prosecutor, (Attorney General) spoke at a ceremony in Qom on the issue of women’s entry to the stadiums and criticized FIFA for forcing a country to allow women in the stadium. It is not clear if this person, Montazeri, has the authority to stop the implementation of the government decree.

However, the consequences of FIFA banning Iran and in the process, the elimination of the Team Melli from the World Cup will definitely be having serious conseqiuences in the country. Many fear mass riots and clashes which will be surely met by brute force from the security forces as always against any show of dissent or mass protests in Iran.

27/09/2019

FIFA delgation to observe Iran-Cambodia match.

A delegation from FIFA will observe Iran-Cambodia game in Azadi Stadium to assess the conditions of women’s entry into football matches in Iran and compliance with FIFA rules.

Team Melli will have to face off against Cambodia in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying match. France’s former football star and a World Cup winner Youri Raffi Djorkaeff is one of the delegates that will travel to Tehran to check on the conditions and the credibility of the Iranian authorities and how genuine they are in allowing unrestrictive admission of women into football venues.

Djorkaeff who has been appointed by FIFA said “Our team’s duty is to create positive social change around the world, and one of our objectives is to make football more accessible to women in the Middle East, especially in countries like Iran,”

The World Cup 1998 winner continued “It is forbidden for women to enter stadiums. The Iranian issue is our subject and I plan to be able to attend Iran Cambodia match. Our presence is a testament to FIFA’s determination.”

FIFA president Infantino said last week: “We have been assured that women will be allowed to attend the next match of the Iranian national team, which will be held on October 10 .”

Iran has the dubious double distinction of being the only country in the world that bans women entry into football stadiums and forces them to wear head scarfs (Hijab). Even the Saudi Arabian government, which until recently was practising the most restrictive Wahabi system of Islam has allowed women attending football matches and also has declared that Hijab is no more compulsory except in the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah.

The religious hardliners in Iran claim that football stadiums are aggressive men dominated places that do not have a clean civil surrounding with rival fans resorting to profanities and sometimes violence against rivals, a claim that a few can argue against. However, such decisions like attending a football match must be left to the individuals rather than being forced up peoples throat as Human Right principles dictate.

It is clear that FIFA is very serious about this issue and will slap a ban on the Iranian Football which will have grave consequences amongst the millions of passionate Iranian fans and quite possibly lead to social unrest in Iran.

12/09/2019

FIFA Organizes Iran Visit After Female Fan Death

Lausanne, Sept 11, 2019 (AFP) –

FIFA said on Wednesday it will send officials to Iran “shortly” to look at the possibility of allowing female spectators into football games in the country.

The announcement comes a week after an Iranian football fan set herself on fire outside a court and died after being told she would be jailed for six months for trying to enter a stadium in Tehran dressed as a man.

“A FIFA delegation will be on site shortly to assess the preparations to allow women at the stadium for the upcoming World Cup qualifier match in October,” FIFA told AFP.

The global governing body added no details regarding the date of the visit but Iran, who featured at the 2018 World Cup, host Cambodia, ranked 170th in the world, on October 10. According to a source close to the proceedings, it will be a three-person delegation, representing FIFA’s competition department and its security department.

The same source said the officials will meet with the Iranian football association but refused to confirm or deny possible talks with the country’s authorities. Iran has barred female spectators from football and other stadiums since 1981, with clerics arguing they must be protected from the masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men. Iran’s sports ministry said in August that women fans would be allowed into the stadium when Team Melli — as the national team is known — play their next home qualifier.

Sahar Khodayari’s death sparked outrage on social media, with many celebrities, football players and activists using the hashtag #blue_girl to call on FIFA to ban Iran from international competitions and fans to boycott matches.

She has been dubbed “blue girl” because of the colors of her club in the capital, Esteghlal FC.

Iran has come under pressure from FIFA to allow women to attend qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup and was reportedly given a deadline of August 31 to comply.

The ban on women in stadiums is not written into law or regulations, but is “ruthlessly enforced”, said Human Rights Watch, calling it a “clear violation of the rules in FIFA”.

11/09/2019

Allowing women into football stadiums under the current environment isn’t desirable.

After the conclusion of the weekly Council of Ministers meeting, Mahmoud Vaezi, the Director of the Iranian President’s Office stated in a press briefing, indicates that the government has not given the green light for women attendance in stadiums and the matter is still under review. This comes after what is believed was an assurance by FFIRA to FIFA that women will be allowed in Team Melli matches in the near future.

With the latest development, it seems that Iran’s football federation FFIRI which in practice has no control or authority in the decision making about the issue of women attending, and FIFA the world governing body , will reach a flashpoint. It is feared that FIFA will sanction Iran and Team Melli will be victimized.

Mahmoud Vaezi, said in his briefing “In the last few months, we have been having a lot of discussions in the council about the subject of allowing women in stadiums. We firmly believe that if the stadiums were safe and suitable for women, we don’t mind their presence, however with the current situation and atmosphere where that fans trade insults, use profanities, engage in fighting and throw dangerous articles at each other, the presence of women in the stadium is not practical and also dangerous. The Director of the President’s office said minister concerned was instructed to speak to the leaders of the teams to facilitate the creation of a clean environment and space for women to be present, as well as a suitable exclusive area for women to enter without being subjected to hardship. If the atmosphere at the stadium is ethical and appropriate, in our opinion, the presence of women in the stadiums will not be an issue.

Mahmoud Vaezi is the de facto spokesperson of President Hassan Rouhani. It is safe to assume that he is speaking on behalf of the President. Although his statement to the press sounded rational what he failed to mention was that the onus is on the government to provide the right atmosphere for women and not for Minister of Sport to ask the Leaders of Esteghlal and Persepolis to do that. This sounds quite comical and superficial.

The issue of women entering stadiums is not even in the full control of the government as the final decision on such matters is in the hand of the Grand Ayatollah who views women mixing with men in public places as a great sin.

There is no guarantee that Rouhani’s government decision will not be reversed by Khamenaei in this matter.

It is true that the atmosphere in the Iranian stadiums is toxic. Attending a football match in Azadi is a challenge for every human being especially in big games. It is a combination of chaos, disorganization, safety risks such as accident, stampede, flying objects, fireworks and stones throwing not to mention the logistics. Interestingly enough, carrying a genuine match ticket does not guarantee you getting your seat or even entering the stadium in the first place!.

Although much of these issues are due to the behaviour of the fans and lack of respect for the law, the organizers have a lion share of the blame too. Responsibilities seemed to be vague at times, exercising authority ultimately seem to be the domain of security forces rather than administrators or organizers.

Nothing seems to work flawlessly in Azadi as incompetence is rife. Iran is probably the only country in the world and member of FIFA that never actually publishes an official attendance figure, for the simple reason of lack of control. They simply cannot count how many people pass through the turnstiles, or maybe they do not publish attendance figures on purpose to hide the number of unlawful entries.

As a person who experienced such hardships in Azadi Stadium, I can very much empathize with the government view and its objective to protect women from some beasts and possible catastrophe. The government concern is genuine and it is not based on religious ideologue. The government, however, cannot escape responsibilities as it needs to sort its own house. It is the government responsibility to provide safe and sound space for women.

The social and cultural issues in the stadiums cannot be different than what exists in the streets or the bazar where men and women mix all the time and there is no restriction

11/09/2019

Sahar Khodayari succumbs to her burns, Esteghlal Club issues a condolance.

A lady football fan has died after setting herself on fire while facing a possible jail sentence for watching a game of football ‘illegally’ (…) in Iran. This is a fact and not fiction.

Sahar Khodayari, a passionate Esteghlal Club supporter from her childhood was detained after she was caught trying to enter Azadi stadium while disguised as a man.

Women in Iran are banned from watching men play football in stadiums, despite the fact that there are no Koranic verses to support such act and it also is violates FIFA’s constitution.

After hearing the news, Sahar doused herself in petrol outside the court.

She suffered 90 per cent burns across her body.

The 29-year-old died on Monday, according to the semi-official Shafaghna news agency.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, had warned the Islamic Republic to allow women in stadiums or face sanctions, in remarks made in June. The 29-year-old has become known as “the blue girl” online, for the colour associated with Esteghlal, her favourite football team.

Her preferred disguise for watching matches was a blue wig and long overcoat, which also contributed to the nickname. Her sister told local media in Iran that Ms Khodyari had bipolar disorder and that her time in prison, before being released on bail, had led to her mental health deteriorating. Courts in Iran do not seem to understand, appreciate or sympathise with such conditions as the rest of the civilized world.

“What happened to Sahar Khodayari is heartbreaking,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East Research and Advocacy Director. “Her only ‘crime’ was being a woman in a country where women face discrimination that is entrenched in law and plays out in the most horrific ways imaginable in every area of their lives, even sports.”

Masoud Shojaei, the captain of Team Melli, paid tribute to the fan on Instagram. “As we are shocked by old limitations set for women, the future generations will be astonished to [find out] that women were banned from entering sports arenas in our time,” he said, according to Radio Farda.

Esteghlal has issued the following statement, offering condolences to Ms Khodayari’s family.

“to the revered Khodayari’s family : The tragic and sorrowful demise of your beloved daughter, Sahar Khodayari, caused great grief in Esteghlal Club, especially within the supporters of the team. We extend our sincere condolences to you and to all your relatives who are suffering, and we ask God the Almighty for his mercy and patience to the family , friends and relatives. We pray for the well being of the survivors and the fans of football.“

Andranik Teymourian, a former Esteghlal player, said in a tweet that one of Tehran’s major football stadiums should be named after Ms Khodayari.

Indeed it is a sad day when a person loses her life for fear of prosecution for doing nothing more innocent than attending a football match. It gives Iran as a country and a regime a very bad name all across the world when the country is in a dire need of a good reputation and some friends.

The death of Sahar comes only a few days after an Iranian athlete was ordered to forfeit a match just in case of the possibility of meeting an Israeli opponent.

World body to sanction Iranian judo federation as Saeid Mollaei says his family was threatened by the government to pressure him to avoid facing Israel’s Sagi Muki. Mollaei has since requested asylum in Germany after his family received veiled threats by the security apparatus of the regime. The judo champion and star said he is afraid to return home after exposing and criticizing his government’s pressure on him to deliberately lose in last week’s World Championships in Tokyo to avoid a potential bout against an Israeli opponent.