Reuters - Bayern Munich sporting director Uli
Hoeness rejected criticism directed at his club on Thursday for their
decision to play a friendly in Iran on Friday against Persepolis Tehran.
The Bundesliga champions scheduled the match in Tehran, a short journey from
their training camp in Dubai, after a friendly against a local club in Dubai
was called off because of the death of ruler Sheikh Maktoum Al-Maktoum.
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"Communication is important, not confrontation," Hoeness was quoted by
German news agency SID telling reporters in Dubai in response to criticism
the match could be seen as supporting Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
He has been condemned for suggesting the Holocaust never happened. The
Iranian president also called in October for Israel to be "wiped off the
map". Six million Jews were killed in the Nazi Holocaust.
"We're playing for the people, not for the regime," added Hoeness, whose
club is training in Dubai to escape the German cold in the league's winter
break. "We want to reduce this to soccer only."
A crowd of up to 100,000 could be watching on Friday. German media reports
said Bayern Munich will receive a large fee for the friendly.
Some German political leaders have called for Iran to be banned from the
World Cup finals.
