A dark cloud over Iranian football

TEHRAN – Iran's football scene has been rocked by a major corruption scandal in recent weeks, with allegations of bribery, match-fixing and match-fixing casting a dark shadow over the sport.

The scandal first came to light in early May when reports emerged of a corruption investigation into football association officials and media representatives. The allegations focused on “bribery,” “document forgery,” “match-fixing,” and “match-fixing,” and sent shockwaves throughout the Iranian football community.

As speculation grew about the people and clubs involved, the judiciary of Kerman province, where the investigation is taking place, confirmed the existence of the case and announced that those involved had been summoned for questioning. Unofficial sources named two senior football officials, Khodadad Afsharian, head of the referees committee, and Soheil Mehdi, head of the league body's competition committee, as well as a prominent media personality as involved. The scandal was also linked to a top club in Kerman province.

*Resignations and ongoing investigations

As the scandal unfolded, both Afsharian and Mehdi resigned from their positions within the Iranian Football Association when the federation's website announced the appointment of Daniel Moradi as temporary head of the referee committee and Mohammadreza Keshvarifard as acting head of the organization's competitions Committee.

The football association has claimed that the corruption case dates back to 2021 or earlier.

*Challenges ahead: cleaning up football and restoring trust

The Iranian Football Association now faces two major challenges: thoroughly investigating and combating corruption within its ranks and restoring public trust in the sport. The use of terms such as “Calciopoli”, the infamous corruption scandal in Italian football, in relation to the current situation highlights the seriousness of the situation and the urgent need for decisive action.

The association must carry out a comprehensive cleansing process, remove corrupt individuals and implement strict anti-corruption measures. It must also demonstrate transparency and cooperation in ongoing investigations and keep the public informed of progress and findings.

Only through decisive action, transparency and a true commitment to ethical practices can Iranian football begin to recover from this scandal and regain the trust of its fans and stakeholders. The road ahead is challenging, but the future of Iranian football depends on the federation's ability to rise to the challenge.