For decades it has been a source of bitter rivalry among Iran’s vast army of soccer fanatics.
Now the Persepolis v Esteghlal Tehran derby, often a scene of crowd violence and angry on-pitch confrontations, is to be transformed into a tool of soccer diplomacy thanks to plans to stage the match on US soil. Iran’s two biggest clubs are understood to be planning simultaneous US tours culminating in a fixture between them.
The plan was disclosed by Persepolis manager Abbas Ansarifard, who said his club had sought permission from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
“For holding several friendly matches, including one against the Esteghlal team, Persepolis will travel to the US,” he told Channel Six, the state television news station.
Ansarifard said an unnamed company would sponsor the trip. He did not say when it would take place or where the matches would be played. Cities with large ethnic Iranian populations, such as Los Angeles, would be most likely to attract big crowds.
News of the proposed trip follows visits to Iran this month by leading figures from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood and a team of US wrestlers, who competed against Iranian opponents.
Allowing a trip by the soccer teams could indicate a positive response by Iran’s leaders to US President Barack Obama’s call for engagement, expressed last week in a videotaped message to mark Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a known soccer enthusiast.
Mohsen Rezai, a former revolutionary guards commander and secretary of the powerful expediency council, used a sporting metaphor to interpret the response to Obama’s overture by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“A long shot has been returned to Mr Obama and into the US field,” he wrote on news Web site Tabnak, referring to Khamenei’s demand in a speech last Saturday for proof that US policies had changed. “Has Iran chosen football, in which it is skilled and privileged, compared to ping pong?”
Soccer may not necessarily be the best sport to bring the two nations closer. Iran’s 2-1 victory over the US at the 1998 World Cup was greeted by wild street celebrations in Tehran and other cities.
Nor are clashes between Persepolis and Esteghlal noted for peace and harmony. Several have had to be abandoned because of disputes over refereeing decisions.
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