Iran keeper is 'BANNED and fined £3,800' after being pushed away for hugging a female fan whose hijab had fallen, because it was 'unprofessional' - and broke Islamic laws about contact with opposite sex

An Iranian goalkeeper has been handed a fine and one-match suspended after hugging a female fan, who was being chased by security for reportedly not wearing the compulsory hijab.

Hossein Hosseini, goalkeeper for Esteghlal - one of the top teams in Iran - has been reprimanded by the Iranian football federation after he embraced a fan who had made her way to the side of the pitch. 

Hijabs, or headscarves, have been compulsory for women in Iran since the 1979 revolution, enforcing what is widely considered by many Muslim women around the world to be a matter of choice.  

Footage shows the moment when the fan made her way onto the pitch with her hair showing after her hijab had fallen, where she was accosted by security. 

Hosseini can then be seen making his way over and appeared to gesture for the security to step away as there was no danger and embraced the fan. 

However further security guards then raced to the scene and pulled Hosseini away from the supporter and escorted him off the pitch while a small scuffle broke out. 

Fans in the stands appeared to throw objects at security as they escorted Hosseini away and seemed to applaud the fan and Hosseini as he left the field under escort. 

Spectators continued to seemingly gesture angrily and allegedly chant 'shame on you' at the security guards as they remained on the field, according to reports. 

After Hosseini had been guided away from the field, several of his Esteghlal team-mates approached the scene, one of whom giving the fan his shirt. 

The fan then ran towards a corner of the ground that seemed to predominantly be made up of female supporters, whirling the shirt above her head in celebration as the rest of the stadium cheered her back to her seat as she pulled her hijab back on. 

According to Iranian publication Khabar Varzeshi, Hosseini - who has played 11 times for the national team - was handed a fine of around £3,800 and a ban for one game for his actions, which were reportedly deemed 'unprofessional and beyond the legal duties of a player'.

The Esteghlal captain then reportedly made a public comment after being called into the federations disciplinary committee to explain himself, allegedly saying: 'I will pay the fine, for the sake of that lady'. 

Yet reports suggest that these comments did not go down well, with the IRNA - Iran's official news agency - reporting that Hosseini could face further penalty as a result of his public comments. 

The report further claims that the decision to punish Hosseini is thought to be in violation of 'existing regulations', given that there is no specific law against his actions, aside from breaking Islamic rules about opposite sexes being in physical contact. 

Iran's football federation has frequently come under pressure from FIFA to allow female fans into stadiums, with a landmark move in 2019 permitting their attendance despite reported resistance to these changes. 

Prior to the decision, a female fan set herself on fire after learning she could be sentenced to six months in prison for attempting to gain access to a stadium in disguise as a male supporter for a match between Esteghlal and Al Ain from UAE.

After being released from Gharchak prison following a two-day stay Sahar Khodayari set herself on fire, suffering burns on 90 per cent of her body, before being taken to a hospital in Tehran where she passed away in September 2019. 

Khodayari is known by many as 'The Blue Girl' in reference to her wish to show her support for the same team Hosseini plays for, Esteghlal, who play in blue. 

13 days after her passing, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that Iran would be allowing female fans into the ground to attend a qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup against Cambodia. 

Ahead of the World Cup itself in 2022, Mahsa Amini died in police custody after she was violently arrested and reportedly beaten by Iran's notorious morality police for not wearing a hijab.

In Iran's heavy opening defeat to England, the Iran's starting XI stayed quiet when the country's national anthem was being played. 

The silence from the players was a sign of protest over the alleged murder of 22-year-old Amini.

The Islamic Republic’s officials told local media that Amini suffered a heart attack while detained by morality police, denying reports that she had been beaten. 

'They killed my angel,' her mother told the BBC Persian service. She said her daughter was healthy and without any problems. 

A statement by the Tehran police confirmed she had been detained for 'explanation and instruction' about the dress rules, along with other women.

'She suddenly suffered a heart problem while in the company of other guided people [and]... was immediately taken to the hospital with the cooperation of police and emergency services.'

Earlier in 2022, in mid-July, a young Iranian woman, Sepideh Rashno, disappeared in mid-July after becoming involved in a dispute on a Tehran bus with another woman who accused her of removing her headscarf.

She was held by the Revolutionary Guards and appeared on TV in what activists said was a forced confession.

She was released on bail in late August after about one and a half months behind bars.