Schick and Hložek’s teammate Sardar Azmoun will probably miss the World Championship! Reason is criticism of his country and political comments against the government

Leverkusen striker Sardar Azmoun is likely to end up representing Iran after speaking out and criticising the ruling regime in his home country. And for this reason, he will probably miss the upcoming World Cup.

Iran’s Azmoun has recently made comments about his home country or the ruling regime, but for which he received a harsh punishment. So much so that he is very unlikely to play in the World Cup in Qatar.

The Bundesliga, however, appreciated the stance Azmoun took against his country’s government. After all, it is no secret that Iran’s use of repressive forces has already claimed more than 50 civilian casualties.

Indeed, on Monday 26 September, Azmoun posted a statement on his Instagram account that had a strong political context. The post was about women’s rights in Iran.

His statement was subsequently deleted, but it still left a significant mark on social media. The Leverkusen striker made the comments following the controversial death of activist Mahsa Amini.

She was arrested for breaking rules regarding women’s headscarves and later died in prison. Since then, waves of protest and dissent have erupted on the streets of the Islamic Republic.

“The national team rules forbade us to say anything until the end of the training camp, but I can’t keep quiet anymore. So kick me out. If it saves one hair of an Iranian woman, it was worth it. Shame on those who kill people for such trivial reasons. Long live Iranian women,” Azmoun wrote on his Instagram, quoted by Bulinews.

Although Leverkusen posted a supportive statement, Azmoun now faces expulsion from the national team. In addition, the 27-year-old forward has caused not only himself but also his family a lot of trouble.

Sources: Bayer Leverkusen, Bulinews