The stars of the national team send messages of support for the protests with the mandatory use of the hijab and risk their participation in the Qatar World Cup
The most serious protests Iran has experienced in the past three years have reached the national football team, which is currently preparing its participation in the next World Cup in Qatar. Those selected by the Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, concentrated in Austria, do not lose sight of the situation in their country and some of the major figures have publicly positioned themselves in favor of the thousands of demonstrators mobilizing against the mandatory use of the veil for women. In Friday’s friendly against Uruguay, the result was the least important as the public expected some gesture from their athletes and they did not disappoint. Zobeir Niknafs, a fine midfielder for Esteghlal from Tehran, shaved his head in solidarity with the women of his country.
The Iranian team won the Charrúas with a goal to nil in a match that had to be played almost behind closed doors, fearing that the diaspora would take advantage of the moment to spark a major anti-regime scandal in the stands. The national team players update their profiles on social networks as soon as the 90 minutes is up with black motives in support of the protests.
The most mediated case was that of Bayern Leverkusen striker and Team Melli star Sardar Azmour, who went one step further and took to Instagram, where he has five million followers, to say that “due to the rules of the national team we can’t say anything until the concentration is over but I can’t take it anymore Worst case scenario I’ll be fired from the national team No problem I’d sacrifice that for a single hair on the head of an Iranian woman “This story will not be deleted. They can do whatever they want. They are ashamed to kill so easily. Long live Iranian women.”
Goalkeeper Ali Reza Biranvand and defender Majid Hosseini also posted photos and messages on Instagram in support of the demonstrations, but reportedly removed them just hours later, apparently under pressure. Azmour’s account was also not free from pressure and suddenly appeared with all messages from the past eight years deleted.
The mobilizations are in their second week and at least 70 have already been killed, according to several human rights groups. Moreover, there are hundreds of injured and prisoners in these protests whose spark was the death of the young Kurdish Mahsa Amini at the hands of the moral police. She was arrested in Tehran for not wearing her veil properly and she never made it out of the police station alive. Authorities insist they will not allow more chaos, but protests have spread to dozens of cities across the country under the slogan “no compulsory hijab”. They already know on the street that they have the support of a national team from whom they expect a lot in the next World Cup. So far they have already scored a goal in front of the thousands of protesters.
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
