Iranian footballer summoned by federation ethics committee for hugging female fan

The Iranian Football Association's ethics committee has summoned an international player who hugged a female fan before a domestic league match, Tasnim news agency reported on Friday, December 27.

Ramin Rezaeian, who plays for Esteghlal, was summoned after he hugged a female fan before Thursday’s match against Chadormalu in the central province of Yazd, it said.

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The football federation has yet to comment on the case. The 34-year-old defender has made more than 60 appearances for the Iranian national team. He has also played for clubs in Qatar and Belgium.

No contact outside the family circle

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. In addition, women have been banned from stadiums in Iran for decades.

Last April, Esteghlal goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini was suspended after hugging a female fan during a league match. Media reported at the time that the FA had fined him 300 million tomans (4,400 euros) for “misbehaving towards security guards during the match.”