TEHRAN - Iran’s Minister of Sport and Youth Masoud Soltanifar has expressed hope that FIFA will agree with the Football Federation of Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) elections to be held on the scheduled time considering the current situation in the country.

Football international governing body has recently sent letters to the Iranian federation, emphasizing that the FFIRI General Assembly, scheduled for 15 March 2020, should be postponed.

FIFA hinted that the current version of the FFIRI statutes contains several particularly problematic provisions such as government interference in the elections.

In a meeting with some sports executives Soltanifar said: “We are facing an emergency, a national emergency.”

“I hope that FIFA considers the current situation and allows the FFIRI to hold the elections, the same as the previous two elections. Iranian football has important days ahead, and the appointment of the new head is crucial for us.” He added.