Iran National Football Team Fined $10,000

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has fined the Iran national football team $10,000 and banned them from one match with spectators due to incidents that occurred during their game against North Korea on November 12 at Azadi Stadium in Tehran. The AFC Executive Committee met yesterday (Friday) after a report from the Disciplinary Committee, and despite a strong defense from the Iranian representative, decided to impose the fine and the spectator ban. According to IRNA news agency, the AFC also fined North Korea $8,000 for disregarding regulations and not taking the competition seriously, and banned them from participating in AFC competitions for one year in 2004. Additionally, Iran was fined $8,000 for delays in their previous match against North Korea in Pyongyang. Dr. Mohammad Mahdi Khabiri, an AFC instructor, stated in an interview with IRNA that such sessions begin with a review of the regulations, which stipulate penalties for teams that do not arrive on time. Sports experts had previously predicted that the Iran national team would face a suspension of two to five matches with spectators. Khabiri noted that the Iran national team performed well against North Korea and that North Korea should not have left the field without coordinating with the referee. He added that the penalty was essentially directed at the spectators, not the athletes. The AFC Disciplinary Committee consists of five to seven members, with its president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa from Bahrain, and other members from Sri Lanka, Jordan, Japan, Syria, Myanmar, and Palestine. The committee declared Iran the winner of the match against North Korea by a score of 3-0. During the match, which was part of the Asian Cup qualifying rounds held on Wednesday evening, November 12, at Azadi Stadium, the game was interrupted due to the throwing of fireworks, leading North Korea to leave the field without coordination.