International goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini has been banned by the Iranian Football Federation with one match and a fine of 4,300 euros after hugging a fan at the end of a football match.

The sanction to the Tehran Esteghlal player of a match without playing comes from the comments he made to the media after being sanctioned on April 17 to pay the fine for hugging the fan.

The events took place on April 12 when, at the end of the match between Aluminum de Arak and Esteghlal (0-1), A fan jumped onto the pitch and reached Hosseini, whom she briefly hugged. After the hug, an argument began between the 11-time international with the Iranian team and the security of the match, as can be seen in the video that accompanies this news.

As Hosseini left the field accompanied by security, fans shouted “cheeky” – a common nickname in Iranian football – apparently at the security forces.

The disciplinary committee of the Iranian Football Federation announced on April 17 a fine of 3 billion rials (4,300 euros) for the hug. “I will pay these 300 million tomans (fraction of the rial) without problem for that fan,” Hosseini told reporters on April 19 after a match with Shams Azar in Tehran, reported by sports media 360.

Hosseini also thanked the disciplinary committee for its speed in issuing a decision. “I am happy that the disciplinary committee was kind and sanctioned me in 4 days,” said the 31-year-old footballer.

The Iranian Football Federation today cited that interview as part of the reason for a match ban. and has considered that the player violated article 71 of its disciplinary codeeither. This article establishes a match sanction for players who in interviews, articles or other media “insult the competition officials.”

In the Islamic Republic, public contact between men and women who do not belong to the same family circle is not permitted.