The ethics committee of the Iranian Football Federation summoned Ramin Rezaeian, an international player, who hugged a fan before a national championship match, Tasnim news agency reported Friday (December 27).
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Ramin Rezaeian, who plays for the Esteghlal club, was summoned after hugging a fan before Thursday’s match against Chadormalu in the central province of Yazd, said the football federation which has not yet commented on the case.
The 34-year-old defender has played more than 60 matches for the Iranian national team. He also played for clubs in Qatar including Al-Duhail Sports Club. He also spent time in Europe, in Belgium, with KV Oostende during the 20217-2017 season.
Two World Cups under his belt
Ramin Rezaeian was part of the squad that played at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. For the first group stage meeting in Saint Petersburg, Iran beat Morocco in stoppage time after an own goal from Aziz Bouhaddouz (90th+5). He was also selected by Carlos Queiroz to participate in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
According to Islamic law in force in Iran since the 1979 revolution, a man cannot have physical contact with a woman outside the family circle. Furthermore, the presence of women in a stadium in Iran has been banned for decades.
Last April, Hossein Hosseini, Esteghlal’s goalkeeper, was suspended after hugging a female supporter during a championship match. The media then indicated that the Federation had fined him 300 million tomans (4,400 euros) for “ bad behavior towards security guards during the match “.