TEHRAN – The Iran football federation knew its new president on Sunday but there is something wrong; Ali Karimi just earned nine votes out of 87 votes. And the question remains unclear that why the members of the presidential elections ignored a man from football.

In the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) presidential elections which were held at the Iran International Conference Center in Tehran on Sunday, Shahabeddin Azizi Khadem was elected as new president of football federation with 49 votes out of 87 votes.

You will win or lose the elections but the Sunday’s votes show a weird thing.  Karimi, as the only football icon in the elections, had to lose the campaign with more votes.

Nine votes? It’s really ridiculous. It’s unbelievable.

Karimi has not enough managerial experience to lead the football federation, that’s true. But the three other candidates, in my opinion, were not the best choices to run the federation.   

Iran football has headed by the persons who have not been the best options over the past 15 years and, as a result, has been seriously damaged.  There is no hope, it seems, the new federation can change the wrong way.

Karimi lost the elections and it’s normal. But, why he did garner a few votes?

He could lose the elections with 20, 30 or 40 votes but he, unbelievably, lost the elections with just nine votes. It’s a shame that the Iranian football members have decided to ignore a football icon.

The Iranian football clubs’ managers have always protested the football situation and said the football must lead by the football icons but they showed that there is no serious intention to change the condition.

Iran football needs a renaissance, but …