AN Iranian footballer was bundled away by security and banned from playing after hugging a female fan who reportedly wasn’t wearing a hijab.
Goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini, who plays for top Iranian club Esteghlal, was also slapped with a whopping £3,800 fine.
Footage shows the goalie attempting to reach the female fan who had made her way to the side of the pitch.
The woman’s hair, tied in a ponytail, was showing after her hijab reportedly fell as she was accosted by security.
Hosseini then made his way over and appeared to motion for the security to stand away from the fan because there was no threat.
He quickly embraced her, gently tapping on her shoulders, before security once again stepped in and pulled the keeper away.
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The Esteghlal player was then seen being escorted off the pitch while a small scuffle broke out.
Fans in the stands appeared to throw objects at security as they led Hosseini away, while also applauding both him and the fan as he exited the pitch.
According to reports, spectators continued to appear angry and chant ‘shame on you’ at the security personnel while they stayed on the pitch.
After Hosseini was led away from the pitch, several of his Esteghlal teammates approached the situation, with one of them giving the fan his shirt.
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The fan then dashed towards a section of the stadium that appeared to be mostly made up of female fans, twirling the shirt above her head in glee as the rest of the crowd cheered her back to her seat as she reattached her headscarf.
Hosseini – who has played 11 times for the national team – was handed a fine of around £3,800.
He was also suspended for one game for his “unprofessional” actions, deemed “beyond the legal duties of a player”, Iranian publication Khabar Varzeshi reports.
After being summoned to the federation’s disciplinary committee to explain himself, the Esteghlal captain allegedly stated in public: “I will pay the punishment, for the sake of that lady”.
But the comments did not seem to go over well, with the IRNA – Iran’s official news agency – claiming that Hosseini may face additional penalties as a result of his public remarks.
The report goes on to say that the decision to punish Hosseini is deemed to be in violation of “existing regulations”, considering that there is no particular law prohibiting his acts, other than breaking Islamic precepts against opposite sexes having physical contact.
Hijabs, or headscarves, have been mandatory for women in Iran since the 1979 revolution, enforcing what many Muslim women worldwide regard as a matter of choice.
Iran’s football federation has also regularly been pressured by FIFA to let female fans inside stadiums, with a historic decision in 2019 allowing their attendance amid strong opposition to the measures.
Prior to the ruling, a female fan set herself on fire after learning she could face a six-month prison sentence for attempting to enter a stadium disguised as a male supporter for a match between Esteghlal and Al Ain in the UAE.
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After being freed from Gharchak prison after a two-day incarceration, Sahar Khodayari set herself on fire, causing burns on 90 per cent of her body before being transported to a hospital in Tehran, where she died in September 2019.
Many people call Khodayari “The Blue Girl” as she wanted to demonstrate her support for Hosseini’s team, Esteghlal, which plays in blue.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
