Safaei Farahani Retains Football Federation Presidency

February 4, 2001 - 0:0
TEHRAN The Assembly of Football Federation reappointed Mohsen Safaei Farahani as the president of Football Federation of Iran for the next four years.

The assembly held a session Saturday during which 33 votes out of 43 went to Safaei Farahani, 6 members voted for Mohammadreza Pahlevan, Ahmad Nik-Kar collected 3 votes and the remaining one was blank.

Nine were candidates for the job and three of them, Dariush Mostafavi, Namdar Babaei Tehrani and Amir-Hossein Fat'hi announced their withdrawal before the election and six nominees were put to the vote.

Leaving the meeting, Mostafavi said, "The slogan of civil society and transparency often put forward in the society is nothing but words."

Then he continued, "Some people use their influence to deprive me of the presidency."

"Although Mostafa Hashemi-Taba issued my appointment decree, the president issued the decree for my dismissal and I still do not understand it," Mostafavi said, adding that he would complain against the president and his office's head in the hereafter."

I am the humble servant of football, stated Mostafavi, concluding, "The president and the chairman of the President's Office's engagement in the issue is questionable."