Ahmadinejad asks deputy to give up nomination as football chief

DPA - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad interfered in a dispute between FIFA and Iran on Sunday, calling on his vice president and close aide to give up his nomination as president of the Iranian Football Federation (FFI). Football's world governing body has several times stressed it would not accept a bid by Vice President Mohammad Ali-Abadi, who is also head of Iran's sports affairs, to run for FFI president in the next elections, saying it would constitute governmental interference in Iranian football, violating international regulations.

FIFA had also said it would not acknowledge results of any FFI elections if Ahmadinejad's deputy would not withdraw his nomination.

"I told (Vice President Mohammad) Ali-Abadi to quit his nomination and allow the FFI elections to be held," Ahmadinejad said in a live interview on state television Sunday.

"We will respect FIFA regulations, but FIFA is just an agency and should not be allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran," Ahmadinejad said.

Tehran has asked why FIFA had not protested in the past as football and other sports have been managed by the Sports Organization, whose head is the country's vice president, for 28 years.

It also stressed that the two main Tehran clubs, Persepolis and Esteqlal, belong to the Sports Organization and play a leading role in feeding the national team with players.

Ahmadinejad further blamed his opponents for "political misuse" of the dispute and accused them of jeopardizing national interests and the future of the national team.

"I will deal with these people in due time," he warned.

Ahmadinejad was referring to current FFI interim chairman Mohsen Safaei-Farahani, who is a renowned political opponent of both Ahmadinejad and Ali-Abadi and is close to the reformist opposition headed by former president Mohammad Khatami.

Ali-Abadi has implied in several interviews that the interim chairman has provided FIFA with false information, blocking progress of the country's football.

FFI elections are scheduled to be held in January under FIFA supervision.

Until the election, the Iranian national football team will remain the only side in Asia without a coach. In about one month the team must play its first 2010 World Cup qualifier against Syria.