Teheran: Hundreds of Iranian women watched a men’s football match in Teheran on Sunday, in a rare sight that was hailed by FIFA as an “historic and festive day” for the sport. About a thousand women were allowed into Azadi Stadium late on Saturday to watch Iranian giant Persepolis battle it out in the Asian Champions League second leg with Japan’s Kashima Antlers. The Japanese side triumphed 2-0 on aggregate, after a goal-less draw, but for the reformist Etemad newspaper the clear winners were Iranian women.
Women were barred from attending matches after the 1979 Islamic revolution, with clerics arguing they must be protected from the masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men. They have also worried about men and women jostling for space and crushing each other when leaving stadiums.
On Sunday, state-run IRNA reported that authorities had allowed a select group of 850 women fans to attend the match. Sazandegi newspaper said most were “handpicked” and included female relatives of the local side as well as women football and futsal players. The AFP reporter said the women who entered were seated in a separate stand inside the stadium and allowed inside two hours before the game started to avoid a crush.
