Bobusch, president of the FIFPRO Asia/Oceania players union, urged on Monday to ensure the safety of Iran national team players participating in the Asian Cup. Australiawas accused of betrayal in his homeland for not singing the Persian national anthem before the game.
“The reality right now is that we can’t communicate with our players. That’s very concerning. This is nothing new. This has been happening since the heightened crackdown in January and February,” Busch said at a news conference.
“We care deeply about the players, but our responsibility now is to do everything we can to ensure their safety,” the FIFPRO chief added, according to Australian public broadcaster ABC.
National anthem controversy
The issue arose after players decided not to sing the national anthem when they took part in their first game last Monday. South Koreaamid the ongoing war in Iran.
A commentator on Iran’s Islamic Republic Radio described the players’ choice to remain silent during Iran’s national anthem as the “peak of shame”
The team then sang the national anthem and saluted before their second game against Australia, prompting concern from human rights advocates who feared the women may have been pressured by government officials.
Petition supports Iranian women’s team
Meanwhile, a petition has been launched against the Australian government seeking asylum for athletes. “After the game, Iranian state media publicly severely condemned the players, calling their war-time behavior treasonous and demanding that they be treated as traitors.”
The petition further raises “concerns for the safety and well-being” that female athletes may face upon returning to the Persian country, and has more than 68,500 signatures.
“This is a very challenging situation,” Busch said.
Athletes who performed the national anthem in the second and third games concluded their games on Sunday night and are expected to return to their home countries, although the exact date remains uncertain.
As the players’ bus left the stadium last night, a group of demonstrators tried to block the vehicle, chanting “Save our girls!”, public broadcaster SBS reported.
Busch said the union was working with FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and the Australian government to ensure “all possible pressure” was exerted to protect players whether they chose to stay in Australia or return to their home countries. “This is indeed a challenging situation,” he said.
Australian government under pressure
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Immigration Minister Tony Burke have so far made no comment on the matter, while Foreign Affairs Minister Anthony Wong did not respond directly to the request in an interview with public broadcaster ABC.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that Albanese informed him that five members of Iran’s national women’s soccer team were being “taken care of” amid concerns they could face punishment.
“Five of them have been dealt with and the rest are on their way,” Trump said after an interview with the Truth Society Post. Australia afternoon. “However, some feel they must go back because they fear for their family’s safety, including the threats their family members will face if they do not return.”
Activists advocating for gender equality celebrated Iran’s qualification for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the first time since 2002, especially given the regime’s oppression of women, including the mandatory wearing of veils in public places.
