Print
Ban of Women  

Managers back Iranian female soccer fans

REUTERS - FORMER UNITED STATES WOMEN'S COACH, JILL ELLIS, SAYING:

"I think (the news about Iranian women will be able to attend World Cup qualifier in Tehran) is huge. I think FIFA has enough of appeal and ability to influence change, and I think it is an absolutely right thing. I mean, I don't think there should be any discrimination and to not allow women to go see football is - I can't even wrap my brain around it in terms of it being something. Absolutely, I think if FIFA can influence that, I think it's great."

NETHERLANDS WOMEN'S COACH, SARINA WIEGMAN, SAYING:

"I think every person, men or women, may play football, may watch football, may have a function in football. That is short, but that's what it is."

SPAIN WOMEN'S COACH, JORGE VILDA RODRIGUEZ, SAYING:

"I believe that everyone is by Iranian women's side, in order to be free to go to the stadium, both FIFA, UEFA and the Spanish Football Federation. We support all women, and we have great solidarity hoping this will change in the future. These are behaviours that we think could no longer been accepted by anyone, and we are sure that they will change."

STORY: United States women's World Cup winning coach Jill Ellis said on Sunday (September 22) that it is 'huge' that women will be able to attend soccer games in Iran.

Earlier on Sunday in Milan, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that he had been "assured" by Iranian authorities that women will be able to attend the October World Cup qualifier in Tehran.

SPONSORED


A female Iranian fan died earlier this month, after setting herself on fire to protest against her arrest for attending a match. FIFA officials have been in Iran this week discussing preparations for the Oct. 10 World Cup qualifier against Cambodia, their first home game of the 2022 qualifying competition.

Ellis, along with Netherlands women's coach, Sarina Wiegman and Jorge Vilda Rodriguez, coach of the Spanish national women's team, were fully supportive of FIFA's move.

"I don't think there should be any discrimination and to not allow women to go see football is - I can't even wrap my brain around it in terms of it being something. Absolutely, I think if FIFA can influence that, I think it's great," said Ellis.

"Everyone is by Iranian women's side," Rodriguez said.