Youri Djorkaeff to travel to Tehran as part of FIFA delegation
Tehran Times – TEHRAN, Former French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff would be part of the delegation that FIFA will send to Tehran to make sure women fans are admitted to the World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Cambodia.
The match will be held in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, slated for Oct. 10.
Djorkaeff has been recently appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the FIFA Foundation, whose objectives include making football more accessible to women in the Middle East.
The presence of a delegation is important “to show that FIFA intervened there with conviction,” said the former midfielder.
Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) cultural advisor Gholam Hossein Zamanabadi has said tickets would be available for all women fans to purchase.
“All Iranian women can buy tickets to watch the match and it’s not for a select group of women,” said Zamanabadi.
Separate entrances, stands and toilets have been prepared for women fans at the iconic Azadi Stadium.
Women fans attended the second leg of the 2018 AFC Champions League final between Persepolis and Kashima Antlers last November.
The move to allow women fans to attend football matches in Iran is in line with FIFA’s stand, with President Gianni Infantino having said on Sunday that the world governing body had been assured by Iranian authorities that women will be able to watch an Asian Qualifiers tie in Tehran next month.