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A 10‑page report from the General Accounting & Audit of Iran—published by Tabnak News Agency—has revealed new dimensions of financial misconduct by senior officials within the Iranian Football Federation and the League Organization.
According to the report, the General Inspectorate is set to launch an investigation in the summer of 2024 into the financial documents and statements of both the League Organization and the Football Federation. This probe, described as an examination of the status, resources, and financial expenditures of the Iranian Football League Organization, is expected to scrutinize irregularities that have long been suspected.
The investigation has uncovered that top executives from both the Football Federation and the League Organization have registered a private company—also named the “Iranian Football League Organization”—into which a substantial portion of the federation’s domestic revenues is being funneled.
In recent months, headlines have been dominated by reports of staggering fines imposed by the federation’s disciplinary committee on clubs, players, and coaches. For instance, on January 7, 1403, the “Javan” newspaper—the media outlet of the Revolutionary Guards—reported that fines levied on Iranian football players and clubs between September and the end of December 2024 had generated a staggering figure of at least 54 billion tomans (US$ 1.3 million) in revenue for the federation.
Now, newly released documents from the Inspection Organization indicate that these funds were deposited into a private company managed by Mehdi Taj.
Mehdi Taj, who originally led the FFIRI from 2016 until 2019, resigned abruptly—citing ill-health—amidst allegations of financial misappropriation, corruption, secret contracts, and excessive payments to the Belgian coach of Team Melli, Marc Wilmott. Despite these serious concerns raised by both observers and government entities, Taj emerged unscathed and was re-elected as the federation’s president in 2022 under questionable circumstances. This election saw all the candidates drop one by one leaving Taj as the major candidate.
Even after several audits and investigations, including the largest corruption scandal in Iranian football history —during which referees were caught accepting bribes and the head of the referees committee was imprisoned—Mehdi Taj continues to deny any wrongdoing. His resilience, bolstered by strong support from influential figures within the Revolutionary Guards, has allowed him to remain in power.
This latest round of accusations, one among many leveled against the powerful IRGC operative who appears to be backed by top regime figures, could prove to be the final blow in Taj’s career. The question now remains: will he once again perform a Houdini act and escape accountability?