FFIRI demands Adidas apology over excluding Iran from its website

The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) has demanded a formal apology from German sportswear manufacturer Adidas over its decision to exclude Iran’s name from the list of countries with access to its services.

“Given the improper and indecorous move of Adidas AG towards Iran’s name on its website, it is necessary to take prompt punitive measures against such a conduct that violates human rights, and get another company to replace it prior to the start of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup,” FFIRI President Mehdi Taj wrote in a letter addressed to Head of the Marketing Committee at the federation Hedayat Mombini on Monday evening.

“Undoubtedly, no real or legal entity is entitled to offend the Iranian nation. The FFIRI, therefore, stresses the need for Adidas apology from Iranians, and will vehemently stand up to defend the dignity of Iran and Iranian people,” the letter added.

It concluded, “The Adidas move comes despite the fact that the Iran men’s national football team has fully honored its commitments both during the signing ceremony with the company and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.”

SS