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Iranian Panionios players rebuked

Iranian Panionios players rebuked

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reportedly said Friday that the country’s soccer federation has issued a condemnation of two Iranian players belonging to Greek club Panionios for taking part in a match against Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in a Europa League match on Thursday.

The federation reportedly said that it “strongly condemns” the two players – Masoud Shojaei and Ehsan Hajsafi – for playing against the team from Israel. Moreover, it said it will first speak to the players before reaching a decision on the case. The two countries are bitter rivals and athletes from Iran avoid playing against Israeli players and teams. 

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