FIFA President Calls Women's Presence at Isfahan's 'Naghsh-e Jahan' Stadium a 'Transformation'

The President of the FIFA has thanked Iranian officials for allowing tens of thousands of female fans to attend one of the most important matches in Iran's Premier League between Sepahan and Persepolis. This week, coinciding with the match between Persepolis and Sepahan, women were not allowed to attend stadiums in large numbers as before, but in the recent match between Sepahan and Persepolis, only women were permitted to be present in the stadium. This decision was made and implemented after the previous match between the two teams at Azadi Stadium in Tehran, where Sepahan fans chanted insulting and gendered slogans against female Persepolis fans. The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic penalized both clubs after this incident and ordered that their next match must only be held with the presence of female fans. Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, on Thursday, December 20, shared images of female fans from both Sepahan and Persepolis at 'Naghsh-e Jahan' Stadium in Isfahan on his Instagram account, stating that he was informed about the presence of approximately 45,000 women at this match and was 'very pleased.' Mr. Infantino also referred to FIFA's ongoing communication with Iranian officials regarding the possibility of women's attendance at football matches and described women's presence at Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium as a 'transformation.' Since the 1979 Revolution and in line with the Islamic Republic's gender segregation policies, women have been banned from attending stadiums and watching men's matches. However, the self-immolation of Sahar Khodayari, known as 'Blue Girl,' in September 2019, who faced legal repercussions for trying to watch her favorite team, Esteghlal Tehran, marked a turning point in four decades of Iranian women's efforts to enter stadiums. A month later, in October 2019, under the pressure of protests and public opinion, Iranian officials issued a selective entry permit for women to attend an official match. FIFA welcomed this action as well, stating that 'they can no longer be stopped or turned back.' Nevertheless, many obstacles still remain for women's entry into stadiums in Iran. In many stadiums across Iran, including in Khuzestan and Mashhad, women are still barred from watching football matches. Additionally, ticket sales to women are limited and fraught with many difficulties, and gender segregation in stadiums has made family attendance at football matches impossible. For this reason, some experts and many social media users accuse FIFA of being lenient with the Islamic Republic Football Federation. The enforcement of gender discrimination is against the laws and statutes of FIFA, which stipulate penalties such as suspension or expulsion for offending countries.