Traktör Club, which ended the previous season with the championship in the Iran Gulf Pro League and represents the South Azerbaijani Turks based in Tabriz, the capital of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, shared a trending statement through its official channels following the developments. Traktör announced in their post that they may withdraw from the league due to racist incidents. The Tabriz representative was subjected to ethnic insults by the fans of the home team during his last match against Shams Azar.
Here are the words of the club’s owner, Mohammadreza Zumuzi-Mutlaq, in his post on the official channels of Traktör Club…
‘THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! OUR CLUB MAY HAVE TO WITHDRAW FROM THE LEAGUE!’
“Mr. Taj (President of the Iranian Football Federation Mehdi Taj) should resign if he does not have the power to manage Iranian football. If this process continues like this, there will be no reason for Tractor Club to stay in this league. If it cannot be managed fairly, it is better to quit football altogether.
Tractor Club is disturbed that our fans are becoming the target of ethnic slogans, while some people are securing their interests through mismanagement. These slogans are either met with silence from the federation or ignored by its institutions. This behavior is unacceptable.”
“TECHNICAL PROBLEMS CAN BE IGNORED, ETHNIC INSULTS NEVER!”
“Everything, from the appointment of referees to much of the planning, is done as if it were designed against Traktör. Some technical problems can be ignored, but never ethnic slurs. Neither I nor the Traktör fans will ever forget this issue.
It is a pity that Traktör is facing unprecedented penalties for insulting a single person, but last season ethnic insults were made against Traktör, its players and most importantly Turks in various stadiums and the federation did not take any serious action. “This dual approach is a clear example of injustice.”
“IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE POWER, GIVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SOMEONE ELSE”
“My word to Mr. Taja and everyone in the Football Federation is this: Do not think that Tractor Club is a foreign part of Iranian football. Whether intentional or unintentional, such mismanagement deepens the division among the people of the country. If you do not have the power to correct this situation, give the responsibility to someone else.
Either this football will be reformed or the Tractor Club will withdraw and take steps to regain their rights through legal and international means, including FIFA. “The people of this country are tired of ethnic slogans and do not want to tolerate this situation anymore.”