Payam Sadeghian and Mohsen Moslaman two of the most promising Iranian players are suspended indefinitely by IRIFF.
The suspension was a swift reaction by the football federation that was initiated and enforced by Ali Kaffashian after the controversy in Kish island after pictures of members of Team Melli U-22 were published in the social media showing them smoking the Shisha in the hotel they were accommodated in.
Sadeghian and Mosalman were both excluded from the U-22 squad competing in the AFC Asian U-22 championship that will start in Muscat in a few days, while Kaffashian instructed Carlos Queiroz not to select the two mentioned players in any Team Melli squad including the upcoming World Cup.
Three other personal associated with the camp. The team manager , doctor , and the masseur were also given an indefinite suspension from all football activities for their role in this misdemeanor. It is not clear what was the role of the 3 officials in this incident. There is another player involved whose name was not mentioned at this time.
Both of the Persepolis players , who have been instrumental in Persepolis recent good run , were hopeful of making the final list of Carlos Queiroz for the World
Cup , but this incident has badly hurt their chances and once again highlighted the indiscipline that is rife in Iranian football especially at the younger level. Sadeghian, a a player who is no stranger to controversy , has previous misdemeanors on and off the field , including several public statements in the press criticizing Team Melli players selection process and indirectly accusing Queiroz for ignoring his performance and goals in the league.
Reacting to the news of the suspensions, Rouyanian , Persepolis club CEO , quickly came to the aid of his players and denied that his players were guilty of smoking during the camp in Kish and accused the federation of trying to sabotage his team ahead of the local derby. Rouyanian, no stranger himself to controversy and rhetoric said that the IRIFF had no concrete evidence and came up with a decision in haste without examining the evidence. Rouyanian did not offer any concrete evidence himself in the defense of the players nor did he elaborate on his serious accusation against the IRIFF.