Iran-Israel soccer row apparently much ado about nothing
The reported suspension of two Iranian soccer players from the national team for having competed against Israelis appears to have vanished into thin air.
On July 20, the UEFA Europa League held its third qualifying round draw, and the event proved to be an especially challenging one for two Iranian soccer players. Masoud Shojaei and Ehsan Haji Safi, both national team players, were expected to play in two home and away games against Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv for their current employer, the Greek national team Panionios. It should be noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran forbids Iranian athletes from competing against Israelis. And, just like every other Iranian citizen, Shojaei and Haji Safi’s passports clearly state that the holder of the document is not permitted to travel to “Occupied Palestine [including Israel].”
Prior to the games, the coach of Panionios told Greece’s sports radio that the two players would not be making the trip to Tel Aviv due to “government regulations” in Iran. The away game took place July 27 without Shojaei and Haji Safi, and it resulted in a 1-0 win for Maccabi. But two days ahead of the home game in Athens, the Greek club issued a statement describing their participation as “necessary.”
Thus, under media silence on Aug. 3, Shojaei and Haji Safi put on their wristbands with the colors of Iran’s flag and played the entire 90-minute game against Maccabi. The game once again ended 1-0 in favor of Maccabi, leaving Panionios unable to proceed to the next level.
News, video and images of the game quickly circulated on Persian-language social media, prompting many debates. While domestic media wrote about the controversy specific to Shojaei and Haji Safi, foreign outlets focused on the wider breaking of taboos in sports competitions between Iran and Israel.
