Governing Bodies
‘This is not our national team’ – why some Iranians want their own country banned from World Cup
A group of current and former Iranian sportspeople say they have no choice but to turn on their own country, citing what they called state-sponsored violence and discrimination against ordinary Iranians, especially women.
The group, containing former champions in sports such as karate, judo and wrestling, including those living in exile and based in their homeland, are taking a stand.
Last week, in conjunction with a Spanish law firm, they sent a letter to world soccer’s governing body FIFA demanding their own country be withdrawn from next month’s World Cup.
“Iran is different to any other country,” former wrestling world junior champion and national team coach Sardar Pashaei told Reuters.
“A football federation should be independent, but in Iran it’s a joke. Everything is controlled by the Revolutionary Guards – the Revolutionary Guards are recognised as a terrorist group by the U.S…
“We contacted FIFA and we said enough is enough. We believe that Iran is killing protesters. They should be banned until we have a democratic country like any other country in the world.”
FIFA declined to comment on the letter when approached by Reuters and the Iranian authorities did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations made against them.
In one of the boldest challenges to Iran’s clerical leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, mass protests have continued for seven weeks in the country, despite a deadly security crackdown and increasingly severe warnings.
Iranian authorities have accused the Islamic Republic’s arch-enemies the United States and Israel and alleged local agents of being behind the unrest to destabilise the country.
The protests were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September after she was arrested by the Iranian morality police for attire deemed inappropriate.
GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT
Former karate champion Mahdi Jafargholizadeh, who says he was tortured by state authorities in 2004 before later escaping while in Germany, highlighted the main reason why he believes there has not been more worldwide attention on Iran.
“Football is the best way to share our voices,” he told Reuters. “There is absolutely no internet connection between inside and outside of Iran, so how could people hear us?
“One of the important reasons for banning this football team by FIFA is everybody across the world will ask, ‘What happened to Iran?’”
In 2019, for the first time in nearly 40 years, several thousand women were allowed into a stadium in Iran to watch a football match played by men, with FIFA remaining in dialogue with the Iranian government to ensure this can become the norm.
But it remains common practice for Iranian women to be turned away or banned from attending matches – something Jafargholizadeh said should give FIFA power to act.
“If FIFA start to admit the Iranian federation aren’t following the law, then at least stay behind your words,” he added. “You (FIFA) say any discrimination is not within the law. Women are not allowed to go to football stadiums in Iran, or play without a hijab.
“This is exactly discrimination against a gender, so stay behind your word.”
Prominent former Iran national soccer team players Ali Daei and Ali Karimi have also backed the protests, but have stopped short of calling for a ban on the national team due to its popularity.
The Ukrainian FA on Monday appealed to FIFA for Iran to be banned, accusing Tehran of supplying weapons to Russia to help with its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation” to eliminate security threats, but FIFA moved to suspend Russia from competing in international competitions earlier this year, ruling the nation out of the World Cup.
The Iranian athletes who wrote to FIFA want a repeat of such punishment.
“What is the difference between Iran and Russia?” Pashaei said. “Russia attacked Ukraine, killed people, so it was the right decision they got banned – the same should happen to Iran.
“They (other countries) don’t play Russia, so it wasn’t just FIFA, it was the other athletes, other countries. I really urge them not to compete against the Iranian regime and send this message to FIFA, that the regime, which has killed innocent people, doesn’t deserve to be at the World Cup.”
-Reuters
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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