“By FIFA and the AFC [Asiatischer Fußballverband – Anm. d. Red.] we hear worrying news,” tweeted Mehrdad Seraj, board member of the Iranian football association FFI, the day after the Iran national team won 2-0 against Lebanon. But the result was only a minor matter. Iran had previously qualified for the World Cup.
Unlike usual, however, the last qualifier did not take place in the capital Tehran, but in the religious, holy city of Mashhad in north-eastern Iran.
Pepper spray against angry women
Tickets for female fans were also made available on the Internet, but the women stood in front of closed gates with their valid tickets until the end of the game and were not allowed in. That led to protests. According to eyewitnesses, the police then used pepper spray against the women. On social media, the incident was compared to the Islamist Taliban’s ban on girls going to school in Afghanistan.
Observers suspect that influential Islamist hardliners in Mashhad acted on their own initiative and without consulting the FFI. The Iranian association now fears that the incidents could have serious consequences from the world governing body FIFA – up to and including exclusion from the World Cup in Qatar. Should it come to that, then – Seraji continued on Twitter – “those who were involved in the bitter events in Mashhad are responsible”.
Association: “Didn’t invite women”
The association did not see itself as responsible for this. The FFI referred to the Iranian news portal “entekhab.ir” about the special conditions in the Mashhad stadium that were unsuitable for women: “It was not possible to create favorable conditions for women entering the stadium, safe access and suitable gates, necessary Provide facilities and a dedicated area in the stands.” The ticket sale for the men within just three days was only completed with many problems due to the short deadline.
“Accordingly, none of the Football Association officials have invited women interested in football to buy tickets for this match in the holy city of Mashhad.” At the same time, the FFI pointed out that “our willingness and willingness to support women’s visits to the stadiums” had already been demonstrated in various national and international club competitions.
Attorney General: “Sorry is not enough”
Attorney General Jafar Montazeri
Nevertheless, there was criticism, even from the highest legal authority: “If the conditions were not in place and it was not possible to let the women into the stadium, then the authorities should have used their wits from the start and were not allowed to sell tickets,” will Iran’s Attorney General Jafar Montazeri is also quoted on “entekhab.ir”: “An apology is not enough, you also have to give the women their money back.”
In Iran, women have been banned from attending football matches for more than four decades. Under pressure from the world governing body FIFA, a limited number of women have been allowed to attend at least two World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Champions League final in Tehran’s Asadi Stadium in the past two years.