IPL in crisis once again as six members of Esteghlal test positive for Covid-19

Tehran Times – TEHRAN, The coronavirus has once again plunged the Iranian football into crisis.

Esteghlal team, who were supposed to go to Jam, Bushehr Province for the game against Pars Jounubi, refused to travel to the southern city because of concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the fact that all the members of the team were at the Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport to fly to Jam on Saturday evening.

However, Ahmad Sa’adatmand, Esteghlal general manager, said that they have bought flight tickets for Sunday morning and were waiting to receive the full report of the players’ Covid-19 test results.

The club announced on Saturday that several players of the team as well as some club’s staff have tested positive for coronavirus.

The Iran Football League Organization in a statement responded that Esteghlal must participate in the match against Pars Jounubi as it is scheduled.

Further, the League Organization issued a threatening statement stressing that the players and clubs’ members who pretend to be infected with the coronavirus will face legal action and their activities will be suspended.

“The football medical department will send the related players and staff to the trusted labs and medical centers to perform additional tests intended to diagnose the Covid-19, and in case of proving they have violated the rules, they will be banned from registering new contracts and will be suspended from all football-related affairs,” the statement reads.

On Friday, Foolad Khuzestan also announced that six players of the side have tested positive for coronavirus.