Iranian footballer punished after hugging a woman

The international goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini was allowed this Tuesday by the Iranian Football Federation with a match, and the payment of a fine of 4,300 euros, after hugging a fan at the end of a soccer match.

The penalty to the player of Esteghlal of Tehran from a match without playing stems from comments he made to the media after being ordered on April 17 to pay a fine for hugging a fan.

The events began on April 12 when, at the end of the match between Aluminum de Arak and Esteghlal (0-1), A fan jumped onto the pitch and hit Hosseiniwhich he hugged for a moment.

After the hug, an argument began between the 11-time international in the Iranian team and the security of the match, as can be seen in the videos of the match.

While Hosseini left the field of play Accompanied by security, the fans shouted “basto” – a common nickname in Iranian football – apparently at the troops maintaining order.

The disciplinary committee of the Iranian Football Federation was announced on April 17 a fine of 3,000 million rials (4,300 euros) for the hug, which the player received with what appeared to be phlegm, according to Iranian media.

“I will pay this 300 million tomane (fraction of rial) without any problem for that fan,” Hosseini told reporters On April 19 after a match with Shams Azar in Tehran, sports media 360 reported this.

Hosseini He also thanked the disciplinary committee for its speed in issuing a decision.

“I am glad that the disciplinary committee was kind and allowed me for 4 days,” said the 31-year-old footballer.

The Iranian Football Federation has now cited that interview as part of the reason for the match ban and is considering that The player violated article 71 of his disciplinary code.

This article establishes a one-match sanction for players who in interviews, articles or other media “insult competition officials”.

The decision has drawn heavy criticism from football players, fans and Internet users.

“Why nothing was said and there was no fine when that man (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) hugged the mother of the Venezuelan president (deceased Hugo Chavez)?”, asked X now Mansour Rashidiformer goalkeeper of the Iranian national football team and the Taj club (now Esteghlal).

In the Islamic Republic public interaction is not allowed between men and women who do not belong to the same family circle.

For 40 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran did not allow it women attending stadiums, a taboo that was broken in 2019 at an Iran-Cambodia event attended by 3,500 women, under pressure from FIFA.

Since then, a limited number of women have been allowed in the stadiums.