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Iranian ‘Clasico’ to be staged in all-female venues next season
The unprecedented verdict comes as a response to the incidents in last week’s top-flight game featuring the two sides, which finished in a goalless stalemate at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.
A viral video after the match showed a Sepahan fan in the stadium making offensive comments about the Reds’ female supporters, which sparked a massive backlash from Persepolis faithful and players on social media, while Sepahan was quick to denounce the remarks in a statement.
The Sepahan’s male fan went on to release an apology for his words a day later but was still handed a 10-year ban from entering the football, futsal, and beach soccer venues in the country.
Tuesday’s ruling also saw 13 other men from both sets of supporters receive a 30-day ban from attending all games in the Iranian league.
This is not the first time that the Disciplinary Committee comes up with a drastic decision against the controversial events in a so-called Iranian ‘Clasico’.
The two fierce rivals were forced to square off in neutral venues in the 2021/22 season following a quarrel between members from both camps in a league meeting in Isfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan Stadium in the preceding campaign.
Iranian women had been forbidden from entering the football stadiums since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 – except for several international games in recent years – before they were given the green light to attend the club games for the start of the 2022/23 season, though their presence has been limited to segregated sections in the stands.