Iranian footballers protest repression in Iran: ‘Shame on you for killing the people so easily’

The Iranian national football team had announced that it would protest before the match against Senegal against the repression that has been raging in their country for several weeks and the players kept their word. In Mödling, Austria, the Iranian selection, including Carolo Ali Gholizadeh, is indeed mounted on the lawn dressed in an all-black parka. During the national anthems, they hid their jerseys and the Iranian flag on them.

A highly symbolic gesture given the political situation in Iran. Since the death of Mahsa Amini after an arrest by the morality police for not having worn the veil correctly, a popular movement has grown across the country. And footballers are not the last to follow this movement.

In addition to their gesture before the match against Senegal, several players took the floor to protest against the repression. This is particularly the case of the star of the Iranian selection, Sardar Azmoun, player of Bayer Leverkusen. On his Instagram account, he posted a message in which he claims not to regret his gesture, not fearing the consequences of his act: “The ultimate punishment would be to be expelled from the national team, which is a small price to pay for a single lock of hair from an Iranian woman. It will never be erased from our conscience. I’m not afraid to be ousted. Shame on you for killing the people so easily and long live the women of Iran.”