National Football Team Players Threatened Over Selfies with Iranians in Australia

The widespread reception of the Iranian national football team by Iranians residing in Australia has surprised the media in that country, but it has had a different reflection in the Ethics Committee of the Iranian Football Federation. From the Iranian flag with the lion and sun emblem on a Facebook page attributed to the national team's coach to selfies of Iranian girls with national team players, these topics have elicited a negative reaction from the Football Federation. Australian television and press have reported on the 'enthusiastic supporters' of Iran. National team players say that the support from their compatriots has increased their motivation, making them feel as if they are in Tehran rather than Melbourne or Sydney. Carlos Queiroz, who had not allowed fans to attend the national team's tactical training, engaged with the crowd outside the stadium after practice to provide an opportunity for photos and autographs. When the national team's bus was leaving the training location, fans stood in front of the bus. Queiroz, in a decision that encouraged the Iranians, asked fans to board the bus in groups of five from the front door and exit from the back after taking photos. He also took the initiative to manage this process at the entrance. Now, Facebook and Instagram are filled with shared images of Iranian national team fans with players, including girls and women. These photos have also been welcomed by some news outlets, including domestic sites like Khabar Online, which published a selfie of a girl inside the national team's bus. This incident has faced a negative reaction from the Ethics Committee of the Football Federation. Ali Akbar Mohammadzadeh, the head of the Ethics Committee, initially referred to a photo of the Iranian flag with the lion and sun emblem on Queiroz's Facebook page, stating, 'In that photo, flags were seen that are against norms. We contacted Australia to inquire about it, and the national team coach denied having a social media page.' This official then referred to the photos taken by the national players: 'In some photos, there are points that are not interesting. Players must be careful not to be used as political tools so that those who take photos do not later use them against the same players. They should not take pictures with just anyone. If they do not comply, we will have to take action against them.' Mr. Mohammadzadeh stated in an interview with the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), 'We monitor events surrounding the national team through various means. A security representative is also accompanying the team, and if any special incident occurs, it will be promptly communicated to us.' Previously, Zarei, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, made an accusation against the national football team's coach on state television, which was later found to be unfounded by domestic sports media. A newly established committee in the Ministry of Sports is examining the ethical qualifications of foreign coaches. This same committee prevented Zlatko Kranjčar from working with the national youth team. Rahim Zarei, a representative from Bavanat, Abadeh, and Khorrambid, also stated that there are photos on Queiroz's Instagram that are against values, questioning why the ministry does not confront Queiroz if it intends to uphold values. However, searching for Carlos Queiroz's name on Instagram revealed that he does not have an official page managed by himself on this social media platform. The sports newspaper 90 also reported that even on the fan pages of Queiroz, the photos are not against values, and if any photo has been published, it does not relate to him, as it is unclear who manages the page.