Tag: Azadi Stadium

ALi Daei lost his job because he would not allow the President into the dressing room.

Hossein Kazemi recalled what happened during the match between Team Melli and Saudi Arabia in the FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifiers at Azadi Stadium.

 

Ali Daei was the head coach of the team. Iran was leading by a Masoud Shojaei goal in the first half. At half-time, he was informed that the then President (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) wanted to enter the dressing room for an inspirational chat with the players and coaching staff, which is a highly unusual request under the circumstances.

Due to the sensitivity of the game and its importance for Iran’s qualification to the next round, Ali Daei, who saw this interruption as negative and might lead the players to lose focus, rejected Ahmadinejad’s request and preferred if it was done after the final whistle.

Hossein Kazemi, who was playing in the midfield in that match said: “We lost the game after the Saudi’s came from behind and scored two goals. It was our only loss under Daei, yet Ali Daei was dismissed from his post that same evening.”

Iran failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2010 held in South Africa.

Hrvoje Milić : “Never felt safer in my life like walking in Tehran”

Hrvoje Milić the Esteghlal Croatian player expressed his disappointment and surprise by the decision of AFC to ban Iranian clubs from playing at home.

“I have never felt vulnerable on the streets of Tehran,” he said, stressing that Iran was safe.  “I have never felt safer while walking in Tehran”. “The way Iranians treat foreigners is remarkable, very friendly and hospitable. They go out of their way to help or guide you. I have always told my family that the Iranian people are courteous and  hospitable”

Hrvoje Milić the Estghlal Croatian player

The 30 years old Croatian footballer continued: “Life in this country is like any other country. People go to their workplaces and kids go to school. Personally, I would not have gone back to Iran if I felt that Iran was an unsafe place or there is a risk to my life.  I would have loved to play against the Kuwaiti team in front of 100,000 supporters, but this decision by AFC has deprived and surprised me from such experience.”

Esteghlal was scheduled to play Al-Kuwait Club in Azadi in the preliminary rounds of the AFC Champions League before AFC shocked Iran football by banning Iranian teams from hosting their matches.

Persepolis, Sepahan and Shahr Khodro have collectively refused to give up their legal rights of playing and hosting games in Iran.

Middle East Tensions Hurting Asian Soccer Ambitions

Steve Price

The Asian Football Confederation has reportedly banned Iran from hosting international matches based on safety fears over the current tensions in the region. Iranian club sides have responded by planning to withdraw from the AFC Asian Champions League. The clubs have said Iran is “safe”, while Iranian media and fans have claimed that politics, rather than security, is behind the AFC’s decision.

Iran are one of the top nations in the Asian Champions League and has some of the best-supported clubs in Asia. Iranian clubs had a poor campaign last year, but the year before that, Persepolis reached the final of the competition. They, along with Esteghlal, Sepahan and Shahr Khodro, will withdraw from the competition should the AFC’s fixture ban not be reversed.

Iranian sides played their matches against Saudi Arabian sides on neutral territory last season, so the move by the AFC isn’t completely unprecedented. But playing any games on neutral territory is damaging to the competition’s reputation. When over 40,000 people turn up in Tehran to watch Estaghlal or Persepolis, it’s a much better advert for the Asian Champions League than when a thousand fans turn up in Doha to watch Estaglal’s ‘home’ match against Al-Hilal.

The Deby in Azadi Stadium

The absence of Iranian clubs in the competition would be similar to Italian clubs deciding to boycott the UEFA Champions League. Few other Asian countries can match Iran’s top clubs in terms of fans. The Asian Champions League is struggling to grow, with low attendance and regular scandals or other embarrassments, so having one of its most important members boycott the competition is the last thing the AFC needs.

But as well as damaging Asia’s main club competition, the current tensions could also damage the United Arab Emirates’ and Qatar’s attempts to bolster their sporting credentials.

The UAE and Qatar have benefited in the past from their relative stability compared to other countries in the region, often hosting ties that can’t be played at the home country’s stadium for security reasons. If Iran is banned from hosting international matches, then it is possible that Iran’s ‘home’ games would be played in the UAE or Qatar.

 

But it seems the current tensions in the Middle East have finally caught up with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, as other soccer teams are staying away.

The USA men’s soccer team canceled its camp in Doha earlier this month due to the “developing situation in the region”, holding it in Florida instead. And last week Manchester United scrapped plans for a training trip to the Middle East in February, while Arsenal have said they are assessing security measures before deciding whether to head to Dubai for warm weather training.

A stadium in Qatar with empty seats

Qatar and the UAE have been popular destinations for these winter training camps in the past few seasons, with many of Europe’s top clubs heading there for the warm weather and high-quality facilities. Qatar’s FA says that “time and again, these teams return to AZF [Aspire Zone Foundation] to benefit from Qatar’s perfect outdoor training weather at this time of year.” This year, Bayern Munich, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven all used the Aspire facilities, apart from Ajax’s US international Sergino Dest who said he “didn’t feel comfortable” due to the tensions.

While showcase events like the Qatar 2022 World Cup or the Club World Cup might grab the headlines, these camps have been like a dripping tap, helping to slowly establish the two countries as reliable regional soccer hubs. With the teams come media, agents, sponsors and so forth, over time making the countries a good place for related businesses to set up offices, helping the local tourism sector, and boosting these countries’ soft power.

The Qatar 2022 World Cup and other showcase events are unlikely to be affected unless things really escalate in the region, but should the security situation in the region remain tense, top European clubs might decide to switch their future winter plans to Florida or to Spain and Portugal where many other clubs from around the world hold their winter training camps, putting a major dent in Qatar and the UAE’s aspirations to boost their global standing through sports.

Iranian Females in Azadi

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.

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.

حضور بانوان در ورزشگاه

 

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.

 aورزشگاه آزادی 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.

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.

 

An ill-tempered derby sells Iran football short!

Bizan Zolfaghar Nasab, the former Team Melli player and current Media expert says the standard of the Iranian football is always exhibited in the big Tehran derby between Persepolis and Esteghlal.

In the match played on Sunday, Persepolis defeated Esteghlal in the packed Azadi stadium by one goal to nil in a dour and ill-tempered match with frequent clashes between players and stoppages duration of the match.

Zolfaghar Nasab in an interview with ISNA, commented on the derby: “It was the weakest derby in terms of quality in the last two seasons. Neither team was able to reproduce its form. Both teams had a lot of changes this season, the players were not comfortable with the prevailing conditions and were not mentally fit.”

He continued: “Overwhelming errors and aggressive fouls diminished the quality of play and prevented the referee from doing his job too. Overall it wasn’t a good game. To say that, it is just the fourth round and the teams aren’t ready yet, is just an excuse. It is regrettable that we played such a sham game at this level in the league, a match that has millions of overseas viewers too. In addition to football standards,  the performance and the attitude of the players has put a serious question mark on our culture, morals and behaviour.”

Zolfaghar Nasab added. “This is not just a problem limited to the two teams. Of course, these two clubs have gone through many changes, from the change of board and CEO to the coaching staff and players.”  He added, “The lack of quality in this derby is not exclusive fault of the coach and the players but it is the combination of many factors which lowers the technical level of the teams.”

“European second-class clubs have stable management structures that remains at the helm for at least seven years. Bayern Munich has changed only two directors in five years, but here three CEOs change has occurred in one year. We do not expect Iranian clubs to be like Bayern Munich or meet the standards of the top European teams, but a country claiming to be a World Cup contender every tournament must have more structured and systematic clubs. In here, chaos is the rule rather than the4 exception”

Zolfaghar Nasabsaid at the end: “The Derby showed the true face of Iranian football. We are tense, chaotic, disorderly, undisciplined and seemed to be in a real hurry. To address this chaotic football system from the highest levels, we need proper and professional management, which we don’t at the moment.”

The overwhelming verdict by many critics and pundits that this derby between the two most popular team in Iran’s bipartisan Iranian football was a bad advertisement for Iran.  Nasser Mohammadkhani, ex Perspolis player and a member of Team Melli in the 1998 World Cup went as far as saying the at ” We have really seen 10 minutes of real football in the whole match, the rest was skirmishes, protests, clashes and everything but football”

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

Iran – Iraq Friendly international!

The Iranian Mehr news has reported that Iran will play a friendly match against Iraq in Basra in November of this year, according to a statement by Mehdi Taj.

On the occasion of the courtesy visit by Iraq’s Youth & Sports Minister to the National Teams Football training centre, accompanied by the president of the Iranian football federation, Mahdi Taj, confirmed that part of the bilateral agreement with the Iraqi side was arranging of friendly international matches hosted by both countries.

What seems to be quite odd with this news is that Iraq and Iran will be meeting in the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 second-round qualifiers in Basra on 14th Nov. It is not known if this supposedly friendly match is going to be played before or after the official AFC qualifier. It is highly unusual, in fact not even heard of, for two teams to arrange friendlies matches before meeting in an official competition.

It is unlikely for Team Melli under Marc Wilmots to attempt such endeavour. Mehdi Taj might have been referring to other national teams such as the U23 Omid team or U19.

Apart from the game against Iraq in November 2019, Team Melli’s last match in the second round of the AFC Asian qualifiers 2023 is on 09th Jun 2020 against Iraq in Azadi Stadium.

FIFA deadline on allowing females into stadiums

FIFA deadline for Iran, to allow females in the stadiums starting with FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying matches has expired today, and now the Iranian Football Association is forced to allow families and ladies into the stadiums while hosting Team Melli matches.

In other word, the promise given by President Hassan Rouhani to the FIFA president Infantino needs to be implemented else Iranian football will possibly be sanctioned.

 12 days after Iran and Syria’s friendly match at Azadi Stadium, Gianni Infantino, in a letter to the Iranian Football Federation, praised the presence of women in that match, requesting that the process be continued, and the ban on the presence of women in Iranian stadiums fully lifted.  In this letter, a deadline for Iran’s football was set on the 15th of July, after which women would be free to attend all stadiums hosting all football matches at national and international levels.

This did not occur last time Team Melli played against the Omid team, but in any case, that match was played behind closed doors and was off-limits to the public in Azadi.

The FIFA president mentioned in the letter that Iran’s football should take a lesson from the recent Women’s World Cup in France and free up the presence of families at Iranian stadiums. Infantino has pointed out that FIFA is aware of the cultural challenges and simply wants to make progress in this regard, not only because of the progress of women in the world, but also as a matter of fact, and is one of the fundamental principles of the FIFA Constitution.

On Monday, Mahdi Taj stated that the response letter was sent to FIFA and the federation is allowing women in the national team home games in the 2022 World Cup.

With the end of the FIFA deadline, a big challenge is brewing for the football executives because, despite the promises of authorities in the past, there has not been a definite step in the preparation of women’s presence in the stadium, which still has a lot of legal prohibitions and sensitivities.

The problem, of course, is not the FFIRI which is quite content to allow women in the stadium, but the religious fundamentalist who are determined to force their extremist ideas on the population.