Team Melli should be banned

[Super Shojaei]

Akhoonds would love for football to end in Iran.
No crowds. No idols.
look at Mashhad.

i mean prior to the protests we were going in that direction anyway - taremi called them out on it - they deliberately didnt want tm playing in large stadiums and purposely kept the crowds small and restricted

cant remember our last full attendance home match in tehran

[Ardalan]

Niyaazi nist FIFA TM raa be Jaame Jahaani rah nade, khode bazikonhaa bayad az TM kenaaregiri konand.
Hich shaadi tahesh namonde ke beran baazi konand. Mardom ghassaabi shodand dar khiyabanhaa - shaadie footbaal konim?

[love-tm]

Niyaazi nist FIFA TM raa be Jaame Jahaani rah nade, khode bazikonhaa bayad az TM kenaaregiri konand.
Hich shaadi tahesh namonde ke beran baazi konand. Mardom ghassaabi shodand dar khiyabanhaa - shaadie footbaal konim?

Daghighan. If they do play right now, they only do it because of selfish reasons for their own careers. That is of course is they dont receive threats to play.

[Nokhodi]

For the anti-tm crowd are guys going to police people’s reactions for the game, and admonish them if they smile, like a bunch of comitehchis?

[Super Shojaei]

For the anti-tm crowd are guys going to police people’s reactions for the game, and admonish them if they smile, like a bunch of comitehchis?

i was planning to go to the New Zealand game as i have family in Cali - but now it seems like a depressing prospect and could get ugly with the pro-sha crowd turning on the IR team wouldn't be surprised if rioting would happen.

If youre a new Zealand or egypt football fan i think the self capitulation that will most likely happen with iran is probably the ideal situation they could have hoped for - a crowd that has turned on the players and i think the situation now is around 100 times worse than 2022 and with a much weaker squad overall i wouldn't rule out New Zealand sneaking a point

[Nokhodi]

i was planning to go to the New Zealand game as i have family in Cali - but now it seems like a depressing prospect and could get ugly with the pro-sha crowd turning on the IR team wouldn't be surprised if rioting would happen.

If youre a new Zealand or egypt football fan i think the self capitulation that will most likely happen with iran is probably the ideal situation they could have hoped for - a crowd that has turned on the players and i think the situation now is around 100 times worse than 2022 and with a much weaker squad overall i wouldn't rule out New Zealand sneaking a point

Let’s see how mentally tough the team will be.
if I can get tickets I’ll be there with my shir o Khorshid.

[koorosh]

Okay, to those who say don't mix politics and football, here are some question.

Some of the footballers have criticized IRs latest massacre. Some of these are current TM members. These footballers themselves are mixing politics with football.

What if some of these footballers refuse to play for IR?
What if IR bans these footballers?
What if IR will again use the footballers to legitimize/normalize the situation. The football league started today, Esteghlal vs Traktor played In Yazd without audience.
Another staged meeting of Pezeshkian with the players to send them off?

Politics and football are completely mixed in Iran, whether you like it or not.

IF Iran plays in WC in 2026 and IR still in power...almost every Iranian in the crowd will be mixing football and politics...by being there, either protesting against the regime... anyone who sits silently will be a regime supporter. It is not football anymore.

Iran's TM players should refuse to play for IR. Those who do refuse will be national heros far more than any goals they might score.

This is the final chapter of IR. It is the end. Every Iranian needs to refuse to be part of this charade because it is now or never.

[Iran_19]

I have below zero interest watching TM in WC in this circumstances! And this is coming from a guy who followed TM religiously since 1987!!!

[PEJ]

If demonstrations keep moving into the summer, I could actually see our older players whom this will be their last World Cup actually uniting with the people. We have already seen a bit of break from guys like Sardar, Goli, JB, and even Mehdi to a degree.

[Nokhodi]

Okay, to those who say don't mix politics and football, here are some question.

Some of the footballers have criticized IRs latest massacre. Some of these are current TM members. These footballers themselves are mixing politics with football.

What if some of these footballers refuse to play for IR?
What if IR bans these footballers?
What if IR will again use the footballers to legitimize/normalize the situation. The football league started today, Esteghlal vs Traktor played In Yazd without audience.
Another staged meeting of Pezeshkian with the players to send them off?

Politics and football are completely mixed in Iran, whether you like it or not.

IF Iran plays in WC in 2026 and IR still in power...almost every Iranian in the crowd will be mixing football and politics...by being there, either protesting against the regime... anyone who sits silently will be a regime supporter. It is not football anymore.

Iran's TM players should refuse to play for IR. Those who do refuse will be national heros far more than any goals they might score.

This is the final chapter of IR. It is the end. Every Iranian needs to refuse to be part of this charade because it is now or never.

it is a personal choice.
if a player doesn’t want to play. All power to them.
if a player does want to play. All power to them.

Their actions either way won’t really be decisive (historically it never is).

I won’t police anyone’s behavior towards TM. Ultimately the one responsible for Iran’s situation is velayate faghih system and khamenei. All this other stuff is distraction.

[koorosh]

it is a personal choice.
if a player doesn’t want to play. All power to them.
if a player does want to play. All power to them.

Their actions either way won’t really be decisive (historically it never is).

I won’t police anyone’s behavior towards TM. Ultimately the one responsible for Iran’s situation is velayate faghih system and khamenei. All this other stuff is distraction.

It is not a personal choice anymore. As this regime takes its last breaths, it is a social and political choice. Football players of a national teams, like the people they represent, should not be punished for their moral and political views.

Only those whose choices align with the regime will be allowed to play. When dissenters will be eliminated from the team, as inevitably will happen, and others forced to apologize, you can see that it is not a personal choice.

The team leaders should get together and lobby the entire team to quit the federation today, form an independent team and ask FIFA to represent Iran under a free flag.

[Nokhodi]

It is not a personal choice anymore. As this regime takes its last breaths, it is a social and political choice. Football players of a national teams, like the people they represent, should not be punished for their moral and political views.

Only those whose choices align with the regime will be allowed to play. When dissenters will be eliminated from the team, as inevitably will happen, and others forced to apologize, you can see that it is not a personal choice.

The team leaders should get together and lobby the entire team to quit the federation today, form an independent team and ask FIFA to represent Iran under a free flag.

When you say it’s not a personal choice you’ve lost me.

This is post revolutionary behavior before a revolution.

it’s sloganeering and in my opinion, leads to nothing.
if you could guarantee this will put the final nail(s) in regime,

78 team had at least 2 high level mko people in it. Several hezzis. Several monarchist. And many who weren’t political.
Their views had no impact on what happens in Iran.
Neither will this TM.
We need to conserve energy and push local
iranain Reps to speak to politicians and media.

[koorosh]

When you say it’s not a personal choice you’ve lost me.

This is post revolutionary behavior before a revolution.

it’s sloganeering and in my opinion, leads to nothing.
if you could guarantee this will put the final nail(s) in regime,

78 team had at least 2 high level mko people in it. Several hezzis. Several monarchist. And many who weren’t political.
Their views had no impact on what happens in Iran.
Neither will this TM.
We need to conserve energy and push local
iranain Reps to speak to politicians and media.

In 1978, people were very inexperienced/ignorant for many reasons, and so were football players. I am old enough to remember the Shah days.

This is 2026...after the widely known massacre of 10-20 K people...some soccer players and referees....with all of the players having the exact experience of 2022 WC. 2026 is much worse than 2022. Remember, players themselves hinted that they were threatened during the WC to comply.

Everyone goes into this with Eyes Wide Open... knowing that (1) if you say nothing, u will be considered bisharaf. (2) If you side with the regime, you will be considered murderer. (3) If you say something soft and put your head down, you will be considered bisharaf (4) if you speak out strongly, or refuse to meet IR officials, you will be out and a hero (5) if you withdraw from TM, you will be a hero.

It is not my pronouncements or slogans...I hate this intrusion of politics into football. This is not my opinion. This is what will happen to them....massive portions of the spectators yelling bisharaf, and massive portions of society agreeing with them. It is very black and white now...the judgement of people of Iran. It is very irrational but very predictable.

[Nokhodi]

In 1978, people were very inexperienced/ignorant for many reasons, and so were football players. I am old enough to remember the Shah days.

This is 2026...after the widely known massacre of 10-20 K people...some soccer players and referees....with all of the players having the exact experience of 2022 WC. 2026 is much worse than 2022. Remember, players themselves hinted that they were threatened during the WC to comply.

Everyone goes into this with Eyes Wide Open... knowing that (1) if you say nothing, u will be considered bisharaf. (2) If you side with the regime, you will be considered murderer. (3) If you say something soft and put your head down, you will be considered bisharaf (4) if you speak out strongly, or refuse to meet IR officials, you will be out and a hero (5) if you withdraw from TM, you will be a hero.

It is not my pronouncements or slogans...I hate this intrusion of politics into football. This is not my opinion. This is what will happen to them....massive portions of the spectators yelling bisharaf, and massive portions of society agreeing with them. It is very black and white now...the judgement of people of Iran. It is very irrational but very predictable.

Such judgement means nothing.
dallals and businesses are all back up and running. Cursing IR but making their money in dubai, instanbul and which ever hellhole… but I’m supposed to think a footballer is bisharaf for not speaking publicly?

I truly hope we’re not that short sighted and easily misled as a propeller

[webmaster]

I am sure the IR will not exist in the world cup. Prepare yourselves.