Iran Football Federation summons player who hugged a female fan

Irans 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 Esteghlals 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. The post Iran Football Federation summons player who hugged a female fan appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.