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Support for the protests? Iran's players did not sing the national anthem at the World Cup

2022-11-21 16:14:33Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Support for the protests? Iran's players did not sing the national anthem

Iran's national team players did not sing their national anthem in their first match at the World Cup against England on Monday.

The move is being seen as a sign of support for the protests that erupted weeks ago in Iran. The players remained silent during the anthem at the Khalifa Stadium in Qatar, where Iranian fans, sitting in the stands, shouted during the anthem.

Protests have been going on in Iran for more than two months.

The protests - which were sparked by the death of a young girl while in police custody - are being described as the biggest challenge to Iran's religious clerics since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

During the live broadcast, Iranian state television censored footage of the players lined up on the field while the anthem was being sung.

However, the team has lost many fans in Iran as many accuse them of siding with the state's violent response to protesters, including women and children, who are calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic.

The national team, which has historically been considered a source of national pride, has been in the spotlight in Iran ahead of the start of the World Cup, as it was expected to see whether the players would use the prestigious football tournament as a platform to show solidarity with the protesters.

The evening before the match against England, captain Ehsan Hajfasi, who plays for a team in Greece, became the first member of the Iranian squad to speak about the situation in his homeland, saying that “We are with them. And we support them. And we sympathize with them".

On Friday, players Karim Ansarifard and Morteza Pouraliganji did not respond to questions about solidarity with women in Iran, while midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who plays for Dutch club Feyenoord, suggested such questions were an attempt to distract the Iranian team. /REL


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