Traktor FK withdraws from match following racist chanting

Traktor FK, a prominent Iranian football club, has withdrawn from its scheduled match against Malavan at the Sirus Kayikran Stadium in Anzali following organized racist chanting. The club reported that spectators targeted the players and their ethnic Turkish identity with insults and discriminatory slogans.

Traktor FK President Mohammad Reza Zonouzi condemned the incidents, stating that the insults directed at the players, the club, and their ethnic identity were unacceptable. Zonouzi called on the Iran Football Federation to act fairly and without external pressure. He warned that if the match is officially awarded as a 3-0 victory to Malavan due to the withdrawal, Traktor FK will withdraw from the Iranian Pro League entirely and file complaints with FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Traktor FK, based in Tabriz, is widely regarded as a cultural symbol for the South Azerbaijani Turkish population in Iran.