I discovered on trips to Tehran the passion for football --- in the city, there was red (Persepolis), blue (Esteghlal), and little space in between.
But it appears that even this passion has its limits, or rather, needs to be limited. This weekend, Persepolis won 3-2 against Damash Gilan, but the victory came at a cost: two players have been suspended for an "immoral" goal-scoring celebration during the live broadcast.
First, defender Mohammed Nosrati handled the backside of teammate Sheis Rezaei as Persepolis scored. Then Rezaei marked another goal by giving an unidentified teammate a quick squeeze.
Nosrati and Rezaei are indefinitely banned from entering any stadium, let alone appearing on the pitch. and could face even more sanctions.