The local football federation has suspended Esteghlal goalkeeper Hosein Hosseini for one match due to an earlier incident involving a hug with a female fan during a local league football match. According to the sports newspaper "Khabar Varzeshi," the decision came after the incident required police intervention, which removed the player from the field.
On April 12, a video circulated showing a female fan of Esteghlal storming the pitch and approaching the goalkeeper, who responded to her request by hugging her before being stopped by the police. After the police removed both the fan and the player from the field, the match between Esteghlal and Aluminium Arak was halted.
Iranian law prohibits the display of affection between genders in public, in addition to banning any relationships outside of marriage.