Iran striker Sardar Azmoun has been expelled from the national team for showing his support for the UAE, according to reports from Iranian media.
Azmoun, 31, who plays in Dubai for Shabab Al Ahli, reportedly upset the Iranian authorities this week by posting a picture to his Instagram feed of a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. The picture was seen as an act of disloyalty, with Azmoun showing solidarity with the UAE, where he lives and plays his club football.
Iran has launched rocket and drone attacks on the UAE following air strikes by the United States and Israel, which killed the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A report on the Fars News Agency, which has links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cited "an informed source within the national team" as saying Azmoun had been expelled from the squad.
That would appear to rule Azmoun out of this summer's World Cup, should the Iranian team be involved. Their participation in the World Cup as a whole is under a cloud because of the ongoing conflict with the US, who are co-hosting the tournament alongside Mexico and Canada.
If the Iranians do fulfil their group fixtures, they will undoubtedly be weakened by the absence of striker Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals in 91 internationals since making his debut as a teenager in 2014.
The striker is a huge fan favourite at Shabab Al Ahli, where he scored 27 goals last season to fire the club to a domestic league and cup double. Earlier this month he was cheered and supported by the Shabab Al Ahli fans when they took on Al Wahda in the club's first match since the conflict began.
Azmoun later removed the pictures from his social media feed but was still lambasted on state TV on Thursday by football pundit Mohammad Misaghi.
"It's unfortunate that you don't have enough sense to understand what kind of behaviour is appropriate at a given time," Misaghi said.
"We should not mince words with such people. They should be told that they are not worthy of wearing the national team jersey.
"We have no patience for this sulking and childish behaviour. National team players should be people who proudly belt out the national anthem and deserve to wear the Iran jersey."
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Iranian footballer Sardar Azmoun in action for Shabab Al Ahli against Al Wahda at Rashid Stadium, Dubai. All pictures by Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Sardar Azmoun in action for Shabab Al Ahli. -
Scarves of Iranian footballer Sardar Azmoun hang in the club shop. -
Shabab Al Ahli before the match. -
Iranian footballer Mersad Seifi sits on the bench for Shabab Al Ahli. -
Iranian footballer Saeed Ezatolahi in action for Shabab Al Ahli. -
Shabab Al Ahli manager Paulo Sousa on the touchline. -
Al Wahda striker Christian Benteke shows his frustration. -
Iranian footballer Saeed Ezatolahi in action.
Azmoun, 31, is one of the best-known footballers in Iran, where the game is a national obsession. He has played his entire club career abroad with stints at Zenit Saint Petersburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Roma, as well as featuring for Iran in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Misaghi was speaking against the backdrop of pictures of a ceremony welcoming the Iranian women's national team back to Tehran on their return from Australia.
Seven of the delegation accepted asylum in Australia after the team was branded "wartime traitors" on Iranian state TV for not singing the national anthem before a Women's Asian Cup match. Five later decided to return to Iran.
Iran's men are scheduled to play friendly internationals in Antalya, Turkey, against Nigeria on March 27 and Costa Rica four days later as part of their World Cup preparations.
