Persepolis Breaks Its Silence: A Stern Warning on Football’s “Unnatural” Judicial Procedures
In a powerful and unprecedented move, the official site of Persepolis Athletic and Cultural Club—one of Iran’s most storied football institutions—has issued a formal statement addressing what it describes as a series of “unnatural” and “illogical” judicial decisions against the club.
A Pillar of Iranian Football
The statement opens by reaffirming Persepolis’s stature as a “great name and a steadfast pillar in Iranian football,” a club that has always stood at the forefront of “honor and adherence to the law.” It emphasizes that, despite various pressures, the club has consistently pursued its professional path with strength and integrity.
A Cascade of Controversial Decisions
The club’s declaration points to a recent sequence of events that it argues cannot be viewed as coincidental. These include the simultaneous summoning of seven Persepolis players to the disciplinary committee and, most notably, a sudden amendment to a previously issued judicial verdict.
This verdict was altered a mere few hours after the draw for the Hazfi Cup determined that Persepolis would face Tractor S.C., and a full 216 days after the original ruling was made—an amendment officially attributed to a “typographical error.”
A Call for Fairness and Unity
While Persepolis has committed to full cooperation with the Football Federation’s judicial bodies within the legal framework, the statement makes it clear that this should not be misconstrued as an acceptance of the current trajectory. The club explicitly calls for “justice, uniform procedure, and equal treatment for all clubs in similar matters.”
It warns that “collective sanctions and alterations to judicial verdicts” are diverting the face of Iranian football from the path of justice and sending a “worrying message” to its millions of supporters.
A Warning of Wider Consequences
Drawing on historical precedent, the statement sounds a cautionary note for the entire footballing ecosystem. It recalls that whenever distrust has festered between clubs, their fans, and the Federation, the “smoke has ultimately clouded the vision of the national team.”
With crucial national team matches and the road to the World Cup on the horizon, Persepolis urges the Football Federation’s management to act with “wisdom and fairness” to prevent “incorrect decisions and biased behaviors” from fracturing the unity of Iranian football.
The club concludes with a firm resolve: “Persepolis will continue with strength, lawfulness, and respect for its fans, but it will not remain silent in the face of pressure and injustice.”