Because of a photo
Iran confiscates property of former Bundesliga player
March 27, 2026 – 3:30 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Sardar Azmoun is said to have been deprived of real estate, horses and riding stables in Iran – because of a photo. The striker was also left out of the national squad.
The Iranian public prosecutor’s office in Golestan province has apparently confiscated the property of former Bundesliga professional Sardar Azmoun. According to the sports portal Varzesh3, several properties, horses and riding stables are affected. Azmoun is one of 16 people whom the authorities accuse of unpatriotic behavior.
The trigger was a photo on Azmoun’s Instagram page. It shows him with leading politicians from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Since there are US military bases on the territory of the UAE, Iran classifies the Emirates as hostile. The photo was deemed “treason against the fatherland.” The state broadcaster IRIB said: “We don’t need players like that because love for one’s country is above football.”
Iran had already removed the 91-time national player from the squad last week. Mehdi Torabi was nominated to replace the 31-year-old. He plays in the Iranian league and is considered extremely loyal to the regime. If Iran were to take part in the World Cup, Azmoun would not be there as things stand.
Azmoun played at Bayer Leverkusen from 2022 to 2024, after which he moved to Dubai. He comes from Golestan Province. In recent years he has repeatedly criticized the Islamic system in Iran. Observers suspect that this criticism is the actual reason for the measures – the photo merely serves as a pretext. Azmoun himself has not yet commented.
