In response to the United States temporarily displaying Iran’s national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic as a show of solidarity with protesters in Iran, the Iranian Football Federation has responded with a complaint to FIFA and a suspension of 10 games required.
“Under Section 13 of the FIFA Rules, any person who insults the dignity or integrity of a country, an individual or a group of people shall be subject to a suspension of at least 10 matches or a specific period of time, or any other appropriate disciplinary action. said the Iranian FA.
A now-deleted image of the Group B standings posted to US Soccer’s official Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts on Saturday showed the Iranian flag with only the green, white and red colours.
The intent of the messages was to “show support for the women of Iran who are fighting for basic human rights,” said Michael Kammarman, U.S. soccer media officer, at a news conference on Sunday.
“We didn’t know about the posts, but we are women’s rights advocates, we always have been,” said US defense attorney Walker Zimmerman. “We are very focused on Tuesday and also on the sporting side… but at the same time we firmly believe in women’s rights and support them. And we know it’s a lot of trouble and a lot of heartbreak and a very troubling time.
The USA and Iran men’s national teams are currently part of Group B of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and are scheduled to play each other in a must-win on Wednesday, November 30.