FIFPRO demands FIFA security for Iran women’s national team after conflict

FIFPRO Demands Protection for the Players of the Iranian Women’s National Team

The global players’ union FIFPRO has expressed its concern for the safety of the players of the Iranian women’s national football team, urging FIFA, the AFC and the Australian government to take action to ensure their well-being. Uncertainty surrounds the future of the athletes after their participation in the Women’s Asian Cup, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. After the 2-0 defeat against the Philippines, the Iranian team’s bus was held by protesters, who chanted slogans and hit the vehicle before being dispersed by the authorities. Many of the protesters sympathized with the movement to reinstate Reza Pahlavi, son of the overthrown Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

We have been asking the Australian government to work to give the players autonomy. It’s a really challenging situation. There may be players who want to return. There may be some within the group who wish to seek asylum, or who wish to stay in Australia for longer. There may be some who are incredibly worried about the potential trip home.

Beau Busch, president of FIFPRO Asia/Oceania

The concern for the players’ well-being intensified after they did not sing the national anthem in their first match against South Korea, similar to the men’s team’s silent protest at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Subsequently, they sang the anthem and saluted the flag in the remaining matches, but this occurred alongside reports that a conservative television presenter aligned with the regime had called them “war traitors”. Iranian players, closely watched during their stay in Australia, have only been able to speak at official press conferences. It has been reported that team members wishing to seek asylum have been prevented from seeking legal advice from human rights defenders. Busch added: “Our responsibility now is to continue working as hard as we can with the AFC, FIFA and also with the Australian government, to ensure that all possible pressure is applied to ensure that the players are safe, that they have some autonomy over what happens next. Whether they can stay here in Australia or if they want to return. How do we do that safely? And then, obviously, ensuring that they are incredibly safe when they return to Iran. That’s going to be really difficult, but FIFA has a legal obligation in relation to human rights to ensure that they exert that influence, and we hope they will.” The situation has become even more complicated with the closure of airspace over the Middle East due to the attacks between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Legend: The players salute during the Iranian national anthem before the Women’s Asian Cup match against the Philippines in Australia. The coach of the Iraqi national team, Graham Arnold, has asked FIFA to postpone his team’s World Cup play-off match, scheduled for the end of this month in Mexico, citing the dangers faced by most of his squad, who are trapped in Iraq. Busch commented that the players’ union had pointed out to the organizers the concerns about possible asylum requests during the Women’s Asian Cup, but that, as far as he knew, a human rights risk assessment had not been carried out before the tournament. “When we look back, a lot of this was foreseeable,” Busch said. “We were writing to the AFC and FIFA in February. We were trying to make sure this was on everyone’s radar. We knew that we saw at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where there was a lot of discussion about Iranian men not singing the national anthem. We knew there was a significant challenge within Iran, with the regime, with the athletes, etc. All those things were known long before the tournament began.” The situation has only become more complex with recent events.