Iran fined by FIFA for 'religious manifestations'

Islamic Republic broke rules in match against South Korea by including ‘religious ceremony,’ soccer federation says

ZURICH — FIFA fined Iran’s soccer federation 45,000 Swiss francs ($46,200) on Thursday “for several religious manifestations during a match,” according to FIFA’s statement.

Those charges included a “religious ceremony organized before the game and at halftime” and “use of a drone during the ceremony” when Iran hosted South Korea in Tehran on October 11.

FIFA also fined the Croatian and Kosovan soccer federations a total of 80,000 Swiss francs ($82,000) by FIFA for anti-Serbia chants by fans at a World Cup qualifying match.

Fans of both teams were heard chanting “Kill, kill the Serbs” in their own language during Croatia’s 6-0 win on October 6.

The Croatia federation was ordered to pay 50,000 Swiss francs ($51,300) and Kosovo was fined 30,000 Swiss francs ($30,700), FIFA said on Thursday. Its disciplinary panel took other offenses into account.

The incidents marred Kosovo’s first competitive home game since joining FIFA in May.

Croatia soccer fans celebrate their team's 6-0 victory over Kosovo, October 6, 2016 (Screen capture: YouTube) — Croatia soccer fans celebrate their team’s 6-0 victory over Kosovo, October 6, 2016 (Screen capture: YouTube)

The World Cup qualifying match was played in Shkodra, Albania, because Kosovo — a former province of Serbia which declared independence in 2008 — does not yet have an approved stadium.

FIFA has already barred Croatia fans from its first two home games in qualifying after previous incidents involving fans. The second of those games is against Iceland in Zagreb on November 12.

In other cases announced Thursday, FIFA imposed a series of fines for “incidents involving discriminatory and unsporting conduct by fans, including homophobic chants in some instances” at recent World Cup qualifying matches.

FIFA fined the Albania federation 50,000 Swiss francs ($51,300) for a range of incidents at a home qualifier against Macedonia in September that was also played in Shkodra. Charges were related to fans “turning their back and booing during the national anthem” and a “political slogan and banner,” FIFA said.

Argentina's Lionel Messi (L) vies for the ball with Bolivia's Fernando Saucedo during their Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup South American Qualifiers' football match in Cordoba, Argentina, on March 29, 2016. (AFP PHOTO / EITAN ABRAMOVICH / AFP / EITAN ABRAMOVICH) — Argentina’s Lionel Messi (L) vies for the ball with Bolivia’s Fernando Saucedo during their Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup South American Qualifiers’ football match in Cordoba, Argentina, on March 29, 2016. (AFP/Eitan Abramovich)

The Ukraine federation was fined 15,000 Swiss francs ($15,400) for fans displaying a “discriminatory flag” when it hosted Kosovo last month in Krakow, Poland.

Brazil was fined 25,000 Swiss francs ($25,650) for anti-gay slurs during a home match against Bolivia in Natal on October 6.

Paraguay’s federation was fined 20,000 Swiss francs ($20,500), and the Argentina and Chile federations were each fined 15,000 Swiss francs ($15,400) for similar offenses. Estonia was fined 20,000 Swiss francs ($20,500) for insulting chants by fans when hosting Greece in Tallinn on October 10.