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Masoud Soltanifar   Mohammad Dadkan  

Dadkan Ahmadinejad

Radiofarda - A former President of the Football Federation of Iran has called on the Ministry of Intelligence to step in and investigate "wheeling-dealing" and "corruption" in the federation and the Ministry of Sport and Youth.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Dadkan has announced the "imminent international suspension" of the football (soccer) federation and the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran (NOCI).

Responding to Dadkan's comments, the National Olympic Committee said it had not received any letter from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspending Iranian participation in international sporting events.

Furthermore, NOCI accused Dadkan of having a role in the federation's previous suspension and vowed the "relevant authorities would certainly respond" to Mr. Dadkan's remarks.

Speaking to the state-run Radio Iran on Wednesday, June 3, Dadkan had stressed that the IOC had indeed sent a letter suspending Iran.

Nonetheless, the NOCI has dismissed the remarks as "false, emotional, and fake."

Dadkan also claimed that the IOC has made this decision to punish the Islamic Republic for banning Iranian athletes from competing with their Israeli counterparts.

"We cannot anymore continue our double-standard approach. We have to openly announce our position” regarding sports competitions with Israelis, Dadkan told Radio Iran.

Lambasting Dadkan's remarks, NOCI accused him of "playing into the hands of foreigners".

According to NOCI, Dadkan has been far from internal and international developments but still insists to disturb public opinion by presenting unfounded, futile, and controversial issues.

NOCI has gone further by challenging Dadkan to either back-up his claims or face a court case.

In the meantime, Dadkan has also blasted the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Sport and Youth with a barrage of vitriolic criticism.

Referring to the International Football Federation's (FIFA) deadline set for the Iranian soccer teams, Dadkan demanded, "How should I say something to make any official to understand? All our problems are rooted in the Ministry of Sport's meddling with the Football Federation's articles of association.

FIFA is demanding that the Iranian federation enshrine its independence from the government by adopting an appropriate constitution.

At the same time, Dadkan has warned the state-run media to call on authorities to respond, not to cover-up and white-wash.

Moreover, Dadkan maintained that he had already warned authorities to stop influencing the federation's charter and articles of association.

FIFA has given the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) a week (ending Friday, June 5), to revise its constitution.

A group of former FFIRI presidents last Tuesday held a meeting with the Minister of Sports and Youth Masoud Soltanifar, to discuss FIFA's ultimatum.

Nevertheless, the Director-General of legal affairs at the Ministry of Sport and Youth has insisted that FFIRI is the sole body responsible for drafting its articles of association.

"Claiming the Ministry of Sport and Youth has been meddling in drafting FFIRI's charter is an outright lie," the Director-General asserted.