Iran call for FIFA to kick USA out of World Cup ahead of crunch clash

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Iran’s state-affiliated media Tasnim News Agency has called for FIFA to kick the USA out of the World Cup ahead of the duo’s group stage clash on Tuesday. Positive results for both sides against England and Wales on Friday ensured both teams have a chance of qualifying for the knock-out stages, but there have been calls to expel the USA.

The USA have displayed Iran’s national flag on their social media channels without the emblem of the Islamic republic, as protests continue to challenge Tehran’s government. On Twitter, they displayed a banner that showed the Iranian flag with only its green, white and red colours.

The absence of the emblem, designed in 1980, comes as demonstrations have challenged Iran’s government following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16 having been detained by the country’s morality police.

The protests have seen at least 450 people killed since they started, as well as over 18,000 arrested, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran. In a statement on Sunday, the American federation said that it opted to remove the official flag on social media and its website to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.”

However Tasnim News Agency wrote on Twitter, alongside a screenshot of the relevant FIFA rule: “According to section 13 of #FIFA rules, any person who offends the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or group of people … shall be sanctioned with a suspension lasting at least ten matches or a specific period, or any other appropriate disciplinary measure.

“By posting a distorted image of the flag of the Islamic Republic of #Iran on its official account, the #US football team breached the @FIFAcom charter, for which a 10-game suspension is the appropriate penalty. Team #USA should be kicked out of the #WorldCup2022.”

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Section 13 of the FIFA rules reads: “Any person who offends the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or group of people through contemptuous, discriminatory or derogatory words or actions (by any means whatsoever) on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, language, religion, political opinion, wealth, birth or any other status or any other reason, shall be sanctioned with a suspension lasting at least ten matches or a specific period, or any other appropriate disciplinary measure.”

The agency confirmed on Sunday that the Iranian Football Federation will file an official complaint on the matter to FIFA’s ethics committee.

Iranian football and head coach Carlos Queiroz have also recently called for BBC pundit Jurgen Klinsmann to resign following comments he made after their side defeated Wales 2-0 to set up Tuesday’s clash with the USA.

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