Defender Ehsan Hajsafi became on Sunday the first member of Iran's national team to speak out from the World Cup in Doha in apparent support of anti-government protests at home, saying players should be the voice of those suffering.
More than two months of protests in Iran, sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman while in custody of the country's morality police, have created one of the boldest challenges to its clerical leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
"They should know that we are with them. And we support them. And we sympathize with them regarding the conditions," Hajsafi, who plays for AEK Athens, told a news conference.