Tractor and Malavan football match cancelled due to racist chants

The Persian Gulf Pro League match between Malavan and Tractor was cancelled at the Sirous Qayegan Stadium in Bandar Anzali after host fans directed racist insults and chants toward the visiting team.

Tractor owner Mohammad Reza Zenouzi ordered his players to leave the pitch following the verbal abuse. Despite attempts by Malavan officials to calm the crowd, the match was officially abandoned. The Football Federation's disciplinary committee is expected to review the incident, which may trigger regulations allowing officials to award the match to the opposing team in cases of racial abuse.

The incident has sparked political backlash in Iran. Alireza Novin, a Member of Parliament representing Tabriz, Azarshahr, and Osku, threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against the Minister of Sport and Youth. Novin criticized the government and the Football Federation for their perceived passivity regarding hate speech and ethnic insults directed at the Turkic people.