By Syed Zafar Mehdi
TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – The death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman in police custody has drawn varied reactions from different segments of Iranian society, with football players no exception.
The tragic death of Mahsa Amini, which is still under investigation, has sparked angry protests across Iran in the past two weeks, now extending to the football field as well.
During a friendly match between Iran and Senegal in Austria on Wednesday evening, in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2022, Iranian players took to the field for the pre-match ceremony wearing black jackets.
It was immediately construed as a sign of support for ongoing protests in Iran against Amini’s death, with pressure mounting on the national footballers to take a stand.
However, some reports played it down, attributing it to cold and rainy weather in Modling, a town 14 km south of Vienna.
In the run-up to two pre-World Cup friendlies, there were reports about infighting within the national team over the protests, with some players more vocal than others.
The team's star striker, Sardar Azemoun, who scored an equalizer against Senegal on Wednesday, posted a story on his Instagram page on Sunday in support of those protesting over Amini's death.
"In the worst-case scenario, I will be dismissed from the national team," wrote Azemoun in Persian. "No problem. I will sacrifice that for one strand of hair on the heads of Iranian women."
He later removed the story. A report in Iran’s Tasnim News Agency quoted him as saying on Wednesday that he felt it was "necessary to share some issues" with people while insisting there was "no pressure" for writing the post or deleting it.
Some footballers, including Azemoun, have blackened their profile photos on Instagram in recent days, which is seen as a form of solidarity with protesters.
It comes as former Iranian footballer Ali Karimi has emerged as the face of ongoing protests over Amini's death. The United Arab Emirates-based legendary footballer has been regularly writing posts on his Twitter and Instagram pages, urging people to fill the streets.
Local media reports claim that Karimi sold his properties in different cities of Iran before moving to the Gulf country earlier this year.