May 31, 2018
The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) has suspended all relations with its Greek counterpart after the latter canceled a friendly match in preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place between June 14 and July 15 in Russia.
The Hellenic Football Federation (HFF), also known as the Greek Football Federation, has released a statement expressing shock at the decision by Iran.
“We had formally agreed to hold a friendly match on June 2 in Istanbul, Turkey, but had not signed any other documents,” the statement read. “We contacted the officials at FFIRI and explained our reasons for having to cancel the match. So it wasn’t a sudden and unilateral decision.”
The HFF reportedly canceled the match due to ongoing tension between Ankara and Athens after two Greek soldiers were arrested by Turkish forces while on border patrol. Turkey has detained the soldiers for the past three months on unspecified charges.
Greek organizers had suggested an alternative venue for the games. But the FFIRI has threatened to seek financial compensation from the HFF. Meanwhile, the HFF has said that it suffered greater financial loss than the FFIRI. Both federations believe that the match cancellation has had a negative impact on their national football teams in preparation for the World Cup.
The matter has now been referred to FIFA.
