PtG Article 24.11.2009

Iraqi member of parliament calls FIFA ban ridiculous

The leader of the secular Ahrar party, Ayad Jamal Aldin, has hit out at FIFA for suspending the Iraqi Football Association (IFA).

“The al-Maliki government may not have satisfied the demands of FIFA, but it is absurd to suggest that by barring ordinary Iraqis from taking part in the global game, the situation will improve,” said Ahrar, who described the global suspension of the current Asian champions as “ridiculous”.

A member of the Iraq parliament, Ahrar is also calling on Iraqis to contact FIFA directly over the suspension, which came when the world body had learned that the country’s Olympic Committee had dissolved the IFA and security forces had taken control of its headquarters.