Iran goalkeeper ‘parts ways with their club’ after he was pushed away for hugging a female fan whose hijab had fallen, because it was ‘unprofessional’ – and broke Islamic laws about contact with opposite sex

An Iranian club have reportedly parted ways with their goalkeeper after he hugged a female fan, who was being chased by security for reportedly not wearing the compulsory hijab.

As reported in April, Hossein Hosseini, was said to be given a one-match ban and fined £3.800 by the Iranian football federation after the Esteghlal keeper embraced a fan who made her way to the side of the pitch. 

Hijabs, or headscarves, have been compulsory for women in Iran since the 1979 revolution, enforcing what is widely considered by many Muslim women around the world to be a matter of choice.

Footage showed the moment where the fan made her way onto the pitch with her hair showing, where she was accosted by security. Hosseini briefly hugged her to calm the situation before he was pushed away and security swiftly removed both from the field. 

Iranian news website Tabnak, as per Iranwire, have now reported that his club have parted ways with him. 

Footage showed the goalkeeper embracing a female fan, whose hijab had fallen from her head

Hosseini’s actions saw a scuffle break out on the field with extra security rushing to the scene

Hosseini, who has made 11 caps for Iran, was also omitted from the national team’s 26-man squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Hong Kong and Uzbekistan this month. 

Fans in the stands appeared to throw objects at security as they escorted Hosseini away and seemed to applaud the fan and Hosseini as he left the field under escort.

Spectators continued to seemingly gesture angrily and allegedly chant ‘shame on you’ at the security guards as they remained on the field, according to reports.

After Hosseini had been guided away from the field, several of his Esteghlal team-mates approached the scene, one of whom gave the fan his shirt.

The fan then ran towards a corner of the ground that seemed to predominantly be made up of female supporters, whirling the shirt above her head in celebration as the rest of the stadium cheered her back to her seat as she pulled her hijab back on

According to Iranian publication Khabar Varzeshi, Hosseini  was handed a fine of around £3,800 and a ban for one game for his actions, which were reportedly deemed ‘unprofessional and beyond the legal duties of a player’.

He then reportedly made a public comment after being called into the federations disciplinary committee to explain himself, allegedly saying: ‘I will pay the fine, for the sake of that lady’.

Yet reports suggest that these comments did not go down well, with the IRNA – Iran’s official news agency – reporting that Hosseini could face further penalty as a result of his public comments.

One of Hosseini’s team-mates gave the fan his shirt before she ran off to the stands in a section that was seemingly only made up of female supporters

The report further claims that the decision to punish Hosseini is thought to be in violation of ‘existing regulations’, given that there is no specific law against his actions, aside from breaking Islamic rules about opposite sexes being in physical contact.

Iran’s football federation has frequently come under pressure from FIFA to allow female fans into stadiums, with a landmark move in 2019 permitting their attendance despite reported resistance to these changes.

Prior to the decision, a female fan set herself on fire after learning she could be sentenced to six months in prison for attempting to gain access to a stadium in disguise as a male supporter for a match between Esteghlal and Al Ain from UAE.

After being released from Gharchak prison following a two-day stay Sahar Khodayari set herself on fire, suffering burns on 90 per cent of her body, before being taken to a hospital in Tehran where she passed away in September 2019.

Khodayari is known by many as ‘The Blue Girl’ in reference to her wish to show her support for the same team Hosseini plays for, Esteghlal, who play in blue.

13 days after her passing, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that Iran would be allowing female fans into the ground to attend a qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup against Cambodia.

Ahead of the World Cup itself in 2022, Mahsa Amini died in police custody after she was violently arrested and reportedly beaten by Iran’s notorious morality police for not wearing a hijab.

Sahar Khodayari, 30, died in September 2019 a week after she set herself alight to protest against women being banned from football matches in Iran

Iran supporters hold up a flag reading ‘Woman Life Freedom’ and a shirt with the name Masha Amini – who died days after being taken into custody by Iran’s morality police

In Iran’s heavy opening defeat by England, the Iran’s starting XI stayed quiet when the country’s national anthem was being played.

The silence from the players was a sign of protest over the alleged murder of 22-year-old Amini.

The Islamic Republic’s officials told local media that Amini suffered a heart attack while detained by morality police, denying reports that she had been beaten.

‘They killed my angel,’ her mother told the BBC Persian service. She said her daughter was healthy and without any problems.

A statement by the Tehran police confirmed she had been detained for ‘explanation and instruction’ about the dress rules, along with other women.

‘She suddenly suffered a heart problem while in the company of other guided people [and]… was immediately taken to the hospital with the cooperation of police and emergency services.’