CNN
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Iran’s document worldwide goalscorer Ali Daei stated on Monday that he refused an invite to attend the World Cup in Qatar subsequent week to face in solidarity with Iranian protesters.
“I rejected the official invitation of FIFA and Qatar Soccer Federation to attend the World Cup with my spouse and daughters,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I favor to be subsequent to you in my homeland and specific my sympathy with all of the households who misplaced family members over today,” added Daei.
The 53-year-old Iranian soccer legend scored 109 objectives for Iran between 1993 and 2006, a document damaged by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo final yr.
Daei has been a vocal supporter of the nationwide protests throughout Iran, which broke out when 22-year-old girl Mahsa Amini died in September after getting detained by Iran’s morality police.
“As a substitute of repression, violence and arresting the Iranian folks, resolve their issues,” Daei wrote in one other Instagram publish in September.
CNN has reached out to Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Supply & Legacy for remark.
Former Dutch worldwide Clarence Seedorf recommended Daei’s determination to not go to Qatar.
“You’re a actual non secular chief on your folks my buddy,” stated Seedorf stated in a touch upon Daei’s publish on Monday.
“I like you braveness, kindness and management. Peace is what I want might be reached asap. A lot love you and household and all of the brothers and Sisters in Iran.”
An activist group, United for Navid marketing campaign, had advised CNN that Daei’s passport was confiscated for his vocal help for the protests. CNN couldn’t confirm that declare.
Daei just isn’t the one Iranian athlete protesting the federal government.
Final month, a regulation agency despatched a letter to FIFA on behalf of a bunch of former and present Iranian sports activities figures urging soccer’s governing physique to droop the Iranian Soccer Federation (FFIRI) and ban it from taking part at this yr’s World Cup in Qatar.
The letter says the actions of Iran’s soccer federation violate FIFA statues and rules.
“Iran’s brutality and belligerence in direction of its personal folks has reached a tipping level, demanding an unequivocal and agency disassociation from the footballing and sports activities world,” a press launch issued alongside the letter reads.
The letter was signed by, amongst others, Mohammad Reza Faghani, a FIFA-licensed referee, Vahid Sarlak, Asian Judo champion and Iran Nationwide Group member, and Shiva Amini, former Nationwide Ladies’s Futsal Group participant.
Elsewhere, after scoring a aim within the Emirates Intercontinental Seashore Soccer Cup remaining, Saeed Piramoon imitated chopping his hair – a transfer signaling help for nationwide protests within the nation by calling for better freedoms for girls – an act that Iran’s soccer authorities have vowed to cope with.
Soccer participant Sardar Azmoun additionally probably risked lacking out on being chosen for the World Cup after criticizing the federal government.
“That’s price sacrificing for one strand of Iranian girls’s hair,” Azmoun wrote in an Instagram story. “Disgrace on you who kill folks so simply. Lengthy reside Iranian girls.”
Nonetheless, Azmoun was named in Iran’s World Cup squad on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Azmoun suffered a calf muscle calf whereas warming up for Bayer Leverkusen’s Champions League recreation in opposition to Porto on October 4 and hasn’t performed since for the German membership.
Azmoun was anticipated to be sidelined for between six and eight weeks, in keeping with Leverkusen.
