FIFA Chief Blatter Meets Parliament Speaker Larijani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – President of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Joseph Sepp Blatter met and conferred with the Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani on Thursday.
The meeting was also attended by the Head of the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) Ali Kaffashian, Secretary General of IFF Mahdi Mohammad Nabi and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and lasted for 20 minutes.
The FIFA chief arrived in Tehran early Wednesday morning to attend the 2nd International Science and Football Congress.
Blatter also met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani here in Tehran on Wednesday.
During the meeting also attended by Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Rouhani stressed that “football is capable of bringing the world countries’ culture and relations closer.”
“Today football is no longer just a sport, but football stars are now acting as peace ambassadors of countries who are present all around the world on sports fields,” he said.
He said the presence of Blatter and Sheikh Salman in Iran is a good opportunity for the growth and development of football in Iran.
President Rouhani also thanked Blatter and Sheikh Salman for supporting Iran's bid to host the 2019 Asian Cup. He also hailed Blatter's efforts to provide the ground for participation of Muslim women -- with due attention to religious considerations -- in international footbal events, saying such measures can help develop and promote football in the Islamic countries.
