Reasons for the Dissolution of the Women's Malavan Team: 'Removing Excess Baggage and Inability to Transport'

Masoud Rezaian, the CEO of Malavan Anzali, has once again made controversial statements justifying the dissolution of the women's football team of this club. The women's football team of Malavan is the most successful club team in women's football in Iran. Mr. Rezaian had previously stated: 'Malavan club is very burdened, and when a ship is caught in a storm, it unloads its cargo.' The excess baggage of Malavan Anzali was its women's football team, which, according to the CEO, has been unloaded! The name of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy is associated with this club, and it seems inappropriate for a country’s military to sink a team composed of women! While an annual budget of about 600 million tomans was sufficient to maintain the women's Malavan team, it was deemed excess baggage, yet this club was willing to spend more than 20 billion tomans to buy the rights of the men's oil team of Tehran and remain in the Premier League! In his latest remarks, Mr. Rezaian told the program 90 that there is no possibility of transporting the women's Malavan team players with a pickup truck, while five or six male players of Malavan could be transported in such a vehicle. After the announcement of Malavan's dissolution, Maryam Irandoost, the former head coach of this team, told ISNA that she requests President Hassan Rouhani to prevent the dissolution of this team. Irandoost, who has also coached the national women's team, said on program 90 on Monday night, 'We are not excess baggage!' Some want to cover their managerial problems by bringing up religious issues regarding the women's team. The issue of 'pickup truck' or unloading excess baggage is not the first reason Mr. Rezaian has mentioned. He initially cited the critical remarks of Sara Qomi as a reason for the club's dissolution, stating: 'These comments have created a negative mindset, and the women's team will be dissolved.' Ms. Irandoost also told ISNA that today football is being dissolved, and tomorrow another part of women's society will be dissolved, while Iranian women have always fought for the pride of Iran. She previously wrote in her farewell letter from club and national football: 'I am leaving this dirty and unequal football; I do not know for how long, but I will place my information bomb on the hourglass.' Irandoost is now training the players of the dissolved Malavan team on the beach and in public areas, without a locker room and the simplest facilities for training. In a report from program 90, a snake was also seen crawling on the sand near the players' training area!