Iran complains over FIFA sanction

AFP: Iran has complained to FIFA over sanctions imposed for a fatal crush after a match against Japan on March 26, accusing the Japanese — its main rival in the World Cup qualifiers — of being behind the decision. “We will object to this decision and we will try to cancel it,” Iranian football federation spokesman Gholamhossein Zamanabadi told the official news agency IRNA. AFP

TEHRAN – Iran has complained to FIFA over sanctions imposed for a fatal crush after a match against Japan on March 26, accusing the Japanese — its main rival in the World Cup qualifiers — of being behind the decision.

“We will object to this decision and we will try to cancel it,” Iranian football federation spokesman Gholamhossein Zamanabadi told the official news agency IRNA.

On Friday, FIFA’s disciplinary committee fined Iran 30,000 Swiss francs (25,100 dollars, 19,400 euros) and ordered that Iran’s next home game — against North Korea on June 3 — may only be played in front of a maximum of 50,000 fans.

“It seems that FIFA has handed us the sanction under the influence of the Japanese,” Zamanabadi argued, but did not elaborate.

The fatal crush occurred after a crowd of several thousand people were directed towards a secondary seven meter-wide gate after the match ended. In addition, an additional 20,000 spectators were admitted into Tehran’s 100,000 capacity stadium.

After a lengthy probe into the fatal incident, Iran’s judiciary has charged the head of the stadium and the police commander in charge of security of the stadium.