Iran’s football ethics committee has summoned Ramin Rezaeian, a professional player for Esteghlal and the national team after he embraced a female fan before a domestic league match.
“The
ethics committee of the Football Federation of Iran has summoned Ramin
Rezaeian,” local news agency Tasnim reported on Friday, December 27.
The
incident occurred on Thursday, December 26, before Esteghlal’s match against
Chadormalu in Yazd province. The football federation has yet to comment on the
matter. Rezaeian, 34, has represented Iran internationally over 60 times and
has played club football in Qatar and Belgium.
Under
Islamic law enforced in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, physical
contact between unrelated men and women is prohibited.
Although
women were largely barred from attending football matches after the revolution,
restrictions have eased slightly. In August 2022, women were allowed to attend
a championship match for the first time in over four decades.
This
is not the first time a male footballer has faced repercussions for interacting
with a female fan. In April, Esteghlal goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini was fined
approximately $4,700 and given a one-match suspension after hugging a female
supporter during a championship match. At the time, the federation also cited
“bad behaviour towards security agents at the game” as a factor in its
decision.
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