Protests Against 'Injustice and Lawbreaking' in Recruitment of Soldier Footballers

The division of soldier players among military teams in Iranian football and the harm to developing clubs, as well as discrimination in the recruitment of soldiers among military teams, has once again made headlines. In some cases, the process of recruiting and transferring soldier players has contradicted FIFA regulations and even the regulations of the Iranian Premier League are not considered. In the latest example, three players from Zob Ahan Isfahan suddenly went to Tractor Sazi Tabriz for military service in the middle of the season. This is while Zob Ahan is set to participate as one of Iran's representatives in the AFC Champions League. The CEO of Zob Ahan, Saeed Azari, said on the program 90 that they were aware that they could use Ehsan Pehlavan until mid-season, but Mehdi Pour and Danial Ismaili Far could have stayed until the end of the season. Azari emphasized that Mehdi Pour had a diploma until 1998 and could have used educational exemption, but they found out that Tractor Sazi's offer was higher than Zob Ahan's contract. He explained that Mehdi Pour's contract with Zob Ahan was over one billion tomans, and Ismaili Far's contract was also 850 million tomans. The CEO of Zob Ahan stressed that their protest is about the way the player was taken, as these players participated in Tractor Sazi's training without coordination and before the start of the winter transfer window. Azari asked the host of the program 90, Adel Ferdowsipour, 'Does the Physical Education Department of the Armed Forces have the capability for all soldier players to go to a specific team?' The decision-making authority for the division of soldier players is the General Department of Physical Education of the Armed Forces. The league regulations state that soldier players, with the permission of this body, can even play for their own club. Saeed Azari, who is a former weightlifting champion himself, emphasized: 'A third party has interfered in the contract, provoking the player to leave the contract, and I will pursue this issue in international forums.' How much do clubs suffer from the sudden departure of their players due to military service? Azari said: 'Our club has invested in these players, and according to international laws, these players belong to us. We have given three players to Tractor Sazi, but all three returned with torn ligaments. Who will pay our compensation?' Brigadier General Mehr Ali Baran Cheshmeh, as the head of the Physical Education of the Armed Forces, divides soldier players among military teams. Baran Cheshmeh, who was introduced as a member of the board of directors of Tractor Sazi Tabriz in June this year, faced widespread criticism on social media after the broadcast of program 90. He told ISNA news agency that he did not attend any of Tractor Sazi's meetings because he is no longer a board member. Every player who becomes a soldier has a duty to serve. One of the main criticisms directed at Baran Cheshmeh is the illegal method of recruiting soldier players and the special privileges for a specific club. The Ground Forces or Fajr Sepasi and Malavan Bandar Anzali can also recruit soldiers, but in practice, all prominent players go to Tractor Sazi during the star division. The head of the Physical Education of the Armed Forces refrained from responding to criticisms and said he would explain later. Some fan pages of Tractor Sazi have emphasized that they do not wish to benefit from special privileges in recruiting soldier players because their presence is short-term and sometimes they do not play with full strength. Many Tractor Sazi fans, who oppose the militarization of their beloved team, believe that Tractor Sazi should use its own forces like in the 1970s when it was a primary source of player distribution in Iranian football.