2024-03-14 09:52:12
The Iranian Football Federation has demanded that the International Football Federation (FIFA) exclude Israel from international competitions. In the statement, Iran emphasized that such actions would be a symbol of the implementation of the principles of social responsibility laid down in the charter of the world football community.
This requirement was published on the official portal of the organization.
Amid this Iranian call, on February 8, 12 Middle Eastern countries, led by Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, chairman of the West Asian Football Federation, called on FIFA to exclude Israel from international tournaments. Among the countries that supported the initiative were the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Syria and Yemen.
A letter of demand was also sent to all 211 national football federations and six regional confederations, including the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Note that UEFA Secretary General Theodore Theodoridis refused to support the initiative, emphasizing that the UEFA administration has no intention of banning Israel.
In the context of similar sanctions in February 2022, when FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian national teams and clubs from participating in international competitions due to the war in Ukraine, the question of the consequences for Israel arises. It is worth noting that sanctions against Russia continue to apply, and they are planned to be lifted only after the end of hostilities.
Earlier, “Cursor” wrote that several countries opposed Israel’s participation in international sports tournaments.
2024-03-14 09:52:12