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Matchworn Saeid Ezatolahi 27.09.22 SEN 🇸🇳 : IRN 🇮🇷 1-1

Manufacturer: Merooj

Source: Collector

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THE COUNTRY

Since the last World Cup at the latest, it should be clear to everyone that football and politics cannot be separated.

With hardly any other team was this more evident than with Iran's national team.

To show solidarity with the Mahsa Amini protests, the Iranian team did not sing the national anthem, which prompted Iranian television to stop the broadcast. In the final and decisive match of the group stage - against the "favorite enemy," the United States of all countries - the team was threatened with violence and torture if it continued to show solidarity with the protesters.

The 1-0 defeat and the resulting elimination from the tournament, was celebrated provocatively by some Iranians, so that several fans were arrested, and one fan was even killed.

Politics aside, the Iranian team is one of the strongest teams in Asia, even though most of the national team's players earn their money back home. With six World Cup appearances and three consecutive Asian Cups won in the 1960s and 1970s, Iran is the AFC's most successful team after Japan and Saudi Arabia.

THE SHIRT

After many changing jersey manufacturers in recent years, Iran switched back to domestic manufacturer "Merooj" in 2022, which directly provided the team with a very nice design.

Traditionally held in white, the shirt has asymmetrical accents in the Iranian national colors, as well as a gray geometric pattern on the chest. The Iranian cheetah, which looks dreamily into the distance, seems to be stolen one-to-one from the earlier Uhlsport jerseys.

This jersey was worn in the friendly match against Senegal by Saeid Ezatolahi, who earns his bread and butter at Danish club Vejle BK. Through a co-worker of the team, the shirt, including shorts, has found its way into my collection.

Sadly, this pretty jersey has never seen the big stage, as Iran has unfortunately changed to a plainer design at the World Cup.

Iran celebrating their goal against Senegal.