Middle East News
Charlton cancels Iran game due to missile tests: report (Roundup)
Jul 13, 2008, 17:40 GMT
Tehran - English Championship League football club Charlton Athletic has cancelled a friendly match with the Iranian national side, giving Iran's missile tests as reason, ISNA news agency reported Sunday.
Iran has not only once again defied the demand by world powers to suspend uranium enrichment but also test-fired earlier this week several missiles, including a long-range rocket which some Iranian officials said would target Israel if its nuclear sites were attacked.
Charlton Athletic was to play against Iran on July 20 in Marbella when the Iranian team prepares for the World Cup qualification games.
The English team however told the Iranian side that the British government has ordered the cancellation of the game.
As a result of the cancellation, the Iranian Football Federation (FFI) plans to sue Charlton Athletic over what the federation called a one-sided annulment of the contract.
The English club sent a fax to the FFI on Sunday, citing the missile tests as reason for the cancellation.
The FFI in a statement condemned the club's decision as 'irresponsible and unsporting' and said it would follow up the case with FIFA.
The FFI also claimed that involving political issues in sports was against international regulations, although Iran itself has in the last three decades refrained from competing with Israeli athletes to protest the Israeli policies in Palestine and to voice support for the Palestinian people.
Two Spanish teams have also cancelled friendly games against Iran's national team amidst the international row over Iran's nuclear programme and controversial missile tests, although Marbella and Malaga cited 'technical reasons' for the cancellation.
Iran's national team and its coach Ali Daei have since Thursday held a training camp in Marbella and planned to play several games to prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualification games.
The political controversies in the recent years between Iran and the West, including the nuclear dispute and tirades by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against arch-foe Israel, have also caused grave problems for the national team with regards to international games.
At least since the beginning of 2006, most of the European teams - and reportedly also their governments - prefer not to play against Iran.
The next stop for Ali Daei's team is the Czech Republic where Iran is to play two test games against Sparta and Bohemians Prague.
COMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in Middle East
- 1. Jerusalem prelate tells Arab Spring youth to have confidence
- 2. More than 100 killed in Syria ahead of ceasefire deadline
- 3. At least 43 killed in Syria, despite UN criticism
- 4. 19 killed in Syria as ceasefire deadline approaches
- 5. Pilgrims flock to Jerusalem for Easter, Passover
Older Talkback
page: 1
Is this a precedent? Will Charlton refuse to play in any country that tests missiles?
Iran is not the problem. its their leaders. they are so full of xxxx and blinded by their own ignorance. their intentions are so obvious that even i would implement securities assuring total victory over iranian forces and weapons asap. they were not the only ones who promised total destruction of allied forces. late
In spite of all the problems Israel and its political proxies create against Iran, the Iranian people talk with much admiration for Israel and the West generally. Iranians people have a lot of time for Israel and it’s people, I think I might be correct in saying that Iran has the largest most Ancient community of Jews living in any Muslim country There have been all sorts of schemes to get the Iranian Jews to migrate, but they won’t. The reason is that the Iranian people are decent human beings and respectful to all including the fellow Iranian Jews who are a part of Iranian heritage.
Regards
The Iranian Voice
It's too bad to punish the innocent in Iran or countries of its ilk but if their own people can't or won't stop the craziness, someone has got to. Can't leave it up to the Russians or Chinese because their governments are just as off-kilter. I'm afraid that pulling out from any games is just a minute drop in the bucket in a battle brewing that might last decades or longer. Who but us to try to stop it.
To The Iran Voice...The problem is not with the Iranian People...The problem is with the Iranian Leadership.
*Also, if you read the article more closely, it has to do with 'Charlton cancels Iran game due to missile tests' not how many token Jews live in the country of Iran.
*Although there should be a separation between Politics and sports...it does not always work out that way. There have been many examples in the last 100 years where athletes were not able to compete due to politics.
*Iran has been warned by the West that to pursue your present goals will lead the country of Iran down a path of Isolation. Why do you think that these soccer games were cancelled? Why do you think that Total pulled out of a very financially rewarding contract? Soon, other countries and more business's will stop dealing with Iran as well.
**The problem is not with Israel or with Jews. The problem has to do with the Iranian leadership. If there was no Israel...every Middle East country would be scared to death of Iran and its intentions to control and dominate the entire Middle East and make it one Islamic state under the Ayatollah
It is very much an Iranian characteristic to stick up for the under dog, if Israel were to be the victim of aggression the Iranians would full heartedly stick up for the people of Israel, Iranians admire culture science they have a high sense of fair play. They do not like injustice whatever quarter it comes from.
The Iranian Voice
Just plain silly. Normally I'd say much more, but at this point...why?
sports + politics = bullshit
Keep em separate. I would wager that very few of you who cheered charlton's decision will be boycotting the olympics as well.
In Charlton's case this is very hypocritical. Last year Britain exported more arms than any other country. Britain has ICBMs and nuclear weapons. Britain spends huge amounts of money on developing it’s weapon systems every year. Britain has invaded countless countries and treated their people most poorly. Britain has a long history of treating other people as inferior and most still have that mentality. I am no fan of Iran’s leaders but I hope they take Charlton to the cleaners.
How pathetic of Charlton nonAthletic. Of course they can be excused given the fact that they would receive more goals from the Zionist controlled media than they could bear. So, Charlton nonAthletic is basically showing its fear of the Zionist regime, not the Iranian missiles. Not everyone has courage and moral authority to stand up to the Zionist regime, you know.
Iran does not recognize the state of Israel. Israel is imposed on the land that does not belong to its proponents. It is very simple really. But Europeans have a general tendency to become very stupid and ignorant. The clearest example is Nazi Germany. And now the new Nazi state imported and forced on the Middle East by the same Europe, namely Israel. It is not only the racist, occupationist and criminal 'ideals' of the Zionist government that is the root cause of Iran's stance towards Israel. Of course, 60 years of racism, rape and murder has vindicated the position of Iran towards the racist Zionist regime.
This is ridiculous. Sports and politics must be kept seperate in a world when often times it is only sports and the arts that keep a bit of sanity and distance between the nutcases who try to ruin this world through the lack of effective communication. I do not see the parallels between missle tests, that were in fact in response to Israeli missle tests, and some men kicking a soccer ball around. It isn't like they'll be in the 83rd minute and all of a sudden bombs are let loose. Let them play, I am sure the majority of these football/soccer players have the maturity and integrity to 'play nice' unlike all of these war hungry leaders. It is like the US trying to block Cuba from participating in the global baseball tournamnet a few years back. The Cubans played and contrary to Bush's low IQed thought process would have predicted, the Cubans just played baseball without infiltrating American players with communistic propaganda... Stob being dumb and support the game...
Oh the irony of a UK football team boycotting ANY other country after all the people the UK has murdered over the last few years! Charlton Athletic aren't very bright, are they? Iran does not have nuclear weapons, Britain does. Iran hasn't started a war in over 1000 years whereas Britain... you know the rest.
page: 1
HalJul 13th, 2008 - 18:50:28
Iran should be boycotted by everyone. This is the same deal as Germany in the 1930's. In fact, the USA and its allies should state very clearly that one nuclear suitcase exploding anywhere in the world will mean total destruction of iran.
Report this comment