News / Sports

Kafashian refuses to run for FFIRI president

Sunday, 13 March 2016 3:04 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 14 March 2016 1:06 PM ]

Ali Kafashian, the president of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI)

Ali Kafashian has declined to run for the post of president of Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), raising the hopes of other candidates to keep their campaign for the top position at the governing body for football in Iran going.

The 61-year-old, who has been in charge of FFIRI since March 1, 2008, did not register for the federation’s presidential election as the deadline expired at 8:30 p.m. local time (1730 GMT) on Saturday.

Kafashian’s refusal to register means he is not going to seek FFIRI presidency for the third term in a row.

“I feel quite tired, and for that reason decided not to register and run for FFIRI president. Nevertheless, I won’t disappear from football since I am one of five vice presidents of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC),” he said.

On April 30, Iran’s soccer governing body will hold elections to elect a new president to replace Kafashian.

Among the five contenders are Shahabuddin Azizi Khem, a member of the FFRIRI Presiding Board, and Mehdi Taj, who serves as the president of the Iran Football League Organization and an FFIRI vice president.

The three other hopefuls are Mostafa Ajorlou, a former chairman of Pas Tehran and Steel Azin football clubs; Azizullah Mohammadi, the head of the Iran Football Union, and Alireza Moazzaminia.

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