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| Mehdi Mahdavikia sporting a green armband last week [EPA] |
Some Iranian football players are retiring from the national team, fuelling speculation the departure was related to the green bands the players wore in support of the country's opposition movement, according to reports by several Tehran media outlets.
The conflicting reports on the fate of the players relates back to the incident last week when several members on the Iranian team wore green tape on their wrists in a World Cup qualifier against South Korea in Seoul.
Some newspapers said the players are retiring voluntarily, reportedly because of their age, but at least one suggested they were forced out.
It was not possible to confirm the reports independently and calls to Iranian football officials were not immediately answered.
Speculation
The speculation focused on two players who both wore green in Seoul: Ali Karimi, 31, and Mehdi Mahdavikia, 32.
However, both had earlier announced plans to quit soon because of their age.
The Seoul incident was a gesture of solidarity with opposition leader Mir Hossain Mousavi whose supporters accuse the government of rigging Iran's June 12 election in favour of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Green was adopted as the colour of Mousavi's campaign and has been widely displayed in opposition street protests in Iran's post-election turmoil.
At least seven Iranian players wore the bands in the first half against South Korea, although most were forced to take them off before the second.
Mahdavikia is one of Iran's biggest sports heroes for a goal he scored to eliminate the United States during the first round of the World Cup in 1998.
Karimi is also a football star who has played for Germany's Bayern Munich.
Iran was later eliminated from World Cup qualifying because of a draw between Saudi Arabia and North Korea.
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