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Tractor Sazi Calls on Iranian Football Federation to Adhere to FIFA Rules
Tractor Sazi Club protests against racial discrimination towards Azerbaijani Turks in Iranian stadiums. In the official complaint submitted to the Football Federation, the club demanded that those who display racial discrimination be punished in accordance with FIFA's principles.
According to a report published by ISNA news agency on January 22, Tractor Sazi called on the Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee to comply with the regulations of the International Football Federations (FIFA).
Tractor Sazi's protest relates to incidents that occurred during a match with Persepolis on December 29, 2017, at Tehran's Azadi Stadium. In videos recorded during the match and shared on social media, derogatory remarks made by Tehran fans towards Turks can be heard.
The word "donkey" used by Persepolis fans has previously been listed in FIFA’s documents as an example of racial discrimination. This time, Tehran fans used this insult in Turkish.
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After the match, the Tabriz club filed an official complaint with the Iranian Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee against the Persepolis team. However, the committee's decision disappointed both the club and the fans. The committee decided to impose a one-match fan ban on Persepolis and fined both teams.
Tractor Sazi's complaint emphasized that "the Disciplinary Committee’s decision is not proportional to the level of ethnic and racial discrimination involved. The available evidence shows that the derogatory term in Turkish was uttered in a prepared and coordinated manner..."
The complaint also highlighted that the Iranian Football Federation's decision contradicts FIFA regulations.
Tractor Sazi Club, which has a large fanbase among both Azerbaijani Turks in Iran and other regions of the country, is seen as a symbol of Turkish identity in the nation.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Traktorsazi klubu: İrqi ayrı-seçkiliyə görə cərimə yüngül olmamalıdır