Iran's Administrative Organization: Taj Must Resign from Football Federation Presidency

Following a warning from the Asian Football Confederation regarding the potential suspension of the Iranian team if the independence of the Islamic Republic Football Federation is violated, the country's Administrative and Employment Organization announced that Mehdi Taj, the president of this federation, must resign due to retirement. The Asian Football Confederation's letter to the Iranian Football Federation came after the approval of the 'Prohibition of Employing Retirees' law by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, which states that retired individuals have until November 17 of this year to resign from their positions. While negotiations for Mr. Taj to remain in his position continued, the ISNA news agency quoted the Administrative and Employment Organization as stating that 'there is no doubt about Taj's departure' from the Football Federation as a non-exempt retiree, and he must leave the federation after November 17. According to the Administrative and Employment Organization's explanations, the prohibition law also includes non-governmental public institutions and covers all federations, including the Football Federation, with no exceptions. Based on this report, Mr. Taj can only continue as the president of the Football Federation if he 'meets the exceptions of this law, including having a disability percentage above 50%, three years of captivity, or being the child of a martyr.' Meanwhile, Mehdi Taj had previously stated that after visiting a doctor, 'his disability percentage' might increase to 50% and he could be exempted from this law. In response to the Asian Football Confederation's warning that it will not tolerate 'third-party interference in the affairs of its member federations,' the Administrative and Employment Organization also stated that the government does not interfere in this federation. According to this organization, 'the government has no interference in this law, and the prohibition of employing retirees is a resolution of the parliament, and the legislator deems its implementation necessary; therefore, the government will not interfere in football affairs, and thus FIFA cannot react in this regard, leaving no room for negotiation.' Meanwhile, a report from the IRNA news agency on Wednesday indicates that the head of the country's General Inspection Organization warned active retirees who do not leave their positions by December 6 that they will be referred to court. Nasser Seraj, the head of this organization, expressed hope that all retired individuals and employees, 'whether managers or non-managers, will leave their positions by the legal deadline (December 6, 2018) so that there is no need for action and referral of individuals refusing to comply with the law to court.' The prohibition of employing retirees includes executive bodies subject to Article (5) of the Civil Service Management Law and all bodies that somehow use public funds. According to this article, all ministries, government institutions, non-governmental public institutions, state-owned companies, and all bodies that are subject to this law are included in this law. Mohammad Ali Afshani, the former mayor of Tehran, was also forced to resign for this reason, and the Tehran City Council elected Pirouz Hanachi in his place.