Iran to appeal to FIFA over sanctions for crowd deaths
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-30 19:59

Iran said on Saturday they would appeal to FIFA over sanctions imposed after six fans were trampled to death following a 2006 World Cup qualifier against Japan in Tehran in March.

FIFA's disciplinary committee on Friday ordered Iran to play their next home game against North Korea on June 3 in a stadium with a maximum attendance of 50,000 spectators.

The Iran Football Federation was also fined 30,000 Swiss francs ($25,170) over the incidents that followed the March 25 match.

"We will lodge an appeal over this decision and will do our best to cancel it through negotiations," the official IRNA news agency quoted Iran's Football Federation spokesman Gholamhossein Zamanabadi as saying on Saturday.

Iran's state TV said on Saturday officials of the country's Football Federation had already left Tehran for Zurich to meet FIFA officials.

Six soccer fans were trampled to death while leaving Tehran's 100,000-seater Azadi stadium after a police helicopter had blocked the main gate. At least 40 others were badly in injured.

Iran's judiciary has blamed local police for the deaths.

Iran beat Japan 2-1 in the Asian zone Group B game.

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