Possibility of Mes Kerman's Removal from the Premier League; Football Federation Requests Details from Judiciary Regarding Corruption Case

The head of the Islamic Republic Football Federation has requested the judiciary of Kerman province to disclose details related to the corruption case involving Mes Rafsanjan. Some media outlets in Iran suggest that the relegation of this football team to a lower division is likely. According to government news agencies in Iran on Tuesday, June 11, Mehdi Taj sent a letter to the head of the Kerman judiciary asking for the details of the Mes Rafsanjan case to be provided to the Football Federation. In this letter, Mehdi Taj stated that the Ethics Committee of the Federation needs details about the case, including 'the number of matches, how the events occurred, and the manner of collusion,' in order to 'examine the football-related issues with greater sensitivity.' In the course of the financial and administrative corruption case at Mes Rafsanjan club, three individuals have been arrested, and it has now been suggested that the results of some matches from previous years may also be involved. Consequently, the possibility of Mes Rafsanjan's relegation from the Premier League to a lower division exists, as doubts have now been raised regarding the results of several matches in the years 1399 and 1400 (2020-2021). According to the Kerman judiciary, during the investigation of the corruption case at Mes Rafsanjan, seven suspects have been prosecuted, including 'one member of the Football Federation, two members of the League Organization, two media individuals, and two officials from Mes Rafsanjan.' Khodadad Afsharian, the former head of the referees committee of the Islamic Republic Football Federation, who is currently in custody in connection with the corruption case in Iranian football, has confessed to at least 15 instances of collusion in the Premier League and League One, mentioning the roles of some referees and assistant referees in determining match outcomes. According to informed sources, these referees will soon be summoned to court to answer their charges. Furthermore, Mehdi Taj, as the former owner of the sports newspaper 'Jahan-e Football,' former CEO of Sepahan club, former secretary and current president of the Football Federation, is among the managers close to power centers in media and football. This case is one of the latest instances of systemic corruption in Iranian football that experts have warned about for years. While most domestic media have reported on the Iranian sports community's expectation for accountability from the Minister of Sports and the President of the Football Federation, many experts have stated that aside from a few changes at the mid-management level, significant and impactful changes are unlikely to occur. International referee Mohammad Reza Faghani has previously emphasized in an interview with VOA that corruption in Iranian football is a deep-rooted issue.