National team bans Ali Karimi

PTV - The Iranian top football star, Ali Karimi, has left Iran's national team's training camp after a disciplinary punishment against him.

The former Bayern Munich midfielder said that he left the training camp in Ardebil in north-western Iran for Tehran after Iran's Football Federation imposed a disciplinary punishment against him.

According to a member of Iran's Football Federation, Karimi has been deprived of playing in the national team due to his criticism of the FFI, particularly after the appointment of a new coach.

The top football player said that the current FFI formation was the weakest in his ten-year presence in the national team and would bring Iran's football backwards rather than forward.

He said that he would not take back his remarks, hoping his punishment would help solve the problems of Iran's football.