Ali Karimi, Mehdi Mahdavikia and two others are ‘retired’ after sporting green wristbands in World Cup qualifier in Seoul. Their gesture attracted worldwide comment and drew the attention of football fans to Iran‘s political turmoil….Most of the players obeyed instructions to remove the armwear at half-time, but Mahdavikia wore his green captain’s armband for the entire match. The four are also said to have been banned from giving media interviews.
The fate of the other two players who wore the wristbands is unknown. None of the team members were given back their passports upon returning to Tehran after the match,.. Karimi is one of Iranian football’s best-known stars, Iran ‘s hardline media have since linked the protest to the arrest on Saturday of Mohsen Safayi Farahani, who headed the country’s football governing body under the former reformist president, Mohammad Khatami. international competition by the world governing body Fifa after claims of improper interference by his government. The ban was later lifted. >>>
