The Iranian authorities have arrested the famous footballer
Voria Ghafouri
on charges of "insulting and tarnishing the reputation of the national team and making propaganda" against the state.
This was reported by the Iranian news agency Fars.
In past years, Ghafouri has played for the Iranian national team,
but is not in the squad for the current World Cup in Qatar.
The footballer was reportedly arrested after a training session of his team Foolad Khuzestan by judicial decision.
In the past, Ghafouri has regularly criticized the general societal problems in Iran on his social media.
"I am shocked: I spoke to friends in Tehran, Ghafouri was
arrested in front of his
10-year-old eldest son. And his wife is very worried, like all of us".
So Andrea
Stramaccioni
, Rai coach and commentator of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, on the phone with ANSA commented on the arrest of Ghafouri, a Foolhad footballer and former Iranian international.
"He was the captain of Esteghlal in Tehran when I was coaching him," recalls Stramaccioni.
Ghafouri is considered a symbol player of Esteghlal, for authority, intelligence and fair play.