From accusations of cronyism to aligning with the enemies of the regime
Alireza Beiranvand, the goalkeeper of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s national football team, in response to recent criticisms by Ali Daei, claimed in a post on Instagram that he has neither engaged in political advertising nor used any privileges. He wrote that as the son of a hardworking laborer, without any privileges and through personal effort, he has reached nearly 100 national matches, three World Cups, and the Asian Cup.
This claim was made while Beiranvand participated in Ebrahim Raisi’s campaign programs and supported him during the 2021 presidential elections. Additionally, there were reports of him enrolling in a doctoral program without taking the entrance exam and without attending university classes, an issue that was also accompanied by his own statements about being unaware of his field of study.
Beiranvand also denied using privileges despite being one of the recipients of car import permits, dozens of gold coins, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash bonuses after the national team qualified for the World Cup.
In his continued note, the national team’s goalkeeper accused Ali Daei of cronyism, opportunism, disgraceful behavior, and failure in leading the national team. Using language similar to official institutions of the Islamic Republic, he attempted to portray him as aligned with the government’s opponents.
He also claimed that Ali Daei, with his recent stances during the recent conflict, has sided with those who wished for the bombing of Iran. He criticized Daei’s silence regarding the casualties of the war, referencing the recent attacks on Minab, Dena, and Bampur.