35 women detained for attempting to attend Iranian football match

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been in Iran this week and was in attendance for a game between Esteqhal and Persepolis.

Since 1979, women have been banned from attending football matches in Iran, and so a group of female fans targeted this fixture at Teran's Azadi Stadium as a way of drawing attention to the archaic law.

The protest drew its energy from social media, with women's rights activist Masih Alinejad calling on women to attend the fixture and encouraging men "not to enter the stadium" without the women.

Predictably, that doesn't seem to have had much effect. Thirty-five women were 'detained' for attempting to attend the match and, when Infantino was asked about the law following the game - while standing alongside Iran's sport minister, Masoud Soltanifar - the sound was cut to the television feed and broadcast taken off air.

In January, Saudi Arabia allowed women to attend football matches for the first time. 

See also...

Fenerbahce'sFernandaobanned after pelvic thrusting towards Besiktas fans

How Cologne have got through SEVEN different kits in the Bundesliga and Europa League this season

In Other News...