The Return of 'Political' is Ruled Out; Persepolis Awaits Its Sixth CEO

"I probably have to stay here tonight." This was the statement made by Hamidreza Siyasi on December 5 at the prosecutor's office. It has been eleven days since the one-day guess of the Persepolis CEO. It is unclear where he came from, with what backing, and why he left so soon. He became the CEO of Persepolis on December 3 and ended up in prison 12 days later. If he is not released by the end of Thursday, his time in prison will exceed the days he spent in the CEO chair of Persepolis! Former financial supporters of Persepolis claim that Siyasi was sent to prison due to their complaint. However, Siyasi himself stated that he is paying for the misdeeds of previous Persepolis managers. Siyasi's lawyer also mentioned that he was arrested due to his inappropriate tone when speaking to the judge and that this "misunderstanding" will soon be resolved. Amid contradictory statements, judicial officials have not yet made a clear statement regarding Siyasi's arrest, whether his trip to Madrid and meeting with Amir Hossein Jahanshahi caused his imprisonment or if it was merely a disagreement with the club's financial supporter. In this regard, only Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran public and revolutionary prosecutor, has told reporters at an anti-corruption conference: "Let us conduct the investigations." On Wednesday, December 26, the Mehr News Agency reported that Persepolis officials realized after attending the prosecutor's office that Siyasi's work as CEO was over, and they needed to look for a new manager. Hossein Kalani, a board member, and Behrouz Montaqemi, the former caretaker of Persepolis, were summoned to the prosecutor's office to explain issues related to Siyasi's arrest. They emphasized before and after their attendance at the prosecutor's office that Siyasi would remain CEO. However, Mehr News Agency wrote: "These supports are apparent, and Siyasi is not expected to remain CEO even after his release. This matter has been communicated to Kalani and Montaqemi at the prosecutor's office so that Persepolis can look for a new CEO." It is said that Montaqemi will be chosen again as the temporary caretaker of the club to manage the winter transfer affairs and introduce a new CEO. Another news that was reflected in sports media was the change in the composition of the Persepolis board and the resignation of individuals associated with Hamidreza Siyasi. Hossein Kalani also emphasized that if Siyasi is not released, he, along with two other board members, will resign by the end of the week. The end of the week has now arrived. Persepolis is now waiting for its sixth manager during Mahmoud Goudarzi's ministry. Mohammad Rouyanian, Ali Parvin, Alireza Rahimi, Behrouz Montaqemi, and then Hamidreza Siyasi. Some held the position temporarily, and some as managers, with two from this group ending up in Evin prison! Mr. Siyasi's appointment came less than 24 hours after Persepolis's victory in the Tehran derby. Persepolis managed to end the series of draws between the two teams, turning a 1-0 loss into a 2-1 victory. However, after the victory over Esteghlal, the Reds did not see any more good fortune. Against the lower division team Gol Gohar Sirjan, which was also reduced to ten men in the first half, they remained without victory for 120 minutes and eventually triumphed in a penalty shootout. Following this, they faced a home defeat against Zob Ahan Isfahan and were eliminated from the Hazfi Cup. Persepolis lost 2-1 against Naft. With the same result, they lost to Foolad Khuzestan, marking an unusual record of three consecutive defeats with identical 2-1 scores during Hamid Derakhshan's tenure and under Hamidreza Siyasi's management. In this context, amid the victory over Esteghlal, Siyasi became the CEO of Persepolis. The players of the Persepolis team rejected Siyasi's bonus. The CEO of Persepolis is in Evin prison. Why has the stigma of arrest and imprisonment in Iranian football diminished? The changing playing field of the "proxies"; a war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iranian crisis. Two weeks after a complete blackout, the time for reconnecting the internet in Iran is still "uncertain." The shadow of war over Tehran; "Trump is looking for decisive military options against Iran." Trump says if the Islamic Republic attempts to assassinate him, it will be "wiped off the face of the earth." A senior U.S. official: The Trump administration is closely monitoring the case of Reza Valizadeh. The Islamic Republic announced the number of casualties from the protests in January as "three thousand and 117 people."