PLDC - Atefeh Ramezanizadeh and Fatemeh Pasandideh, two players from Iran’s national women’s football team who sought asylum in Australia following security threats from the Islamic Republic, attended a training session with the Brisbane Roar women’s team.
Brisbane Roar shared photos of the two Iranian players and wrote:
“Today Brisbane Roar officially welcomed Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanizadeh to the club’s training facility to participate in A-League Women’s team training. The club is committed to providing a supportive environment for them as they pursue the next steps in their careers.”
Following threats to their safety from the Islamic Republic, several members and players of Iran’s women’s national football team—who had traveled to Australia for the Asian Championship—refused to return to Iran and applied for asylum in the country.
After some players announced their asylum requests in Australia, a number of them reportedly withdrew their applications under pressure from Iranian Football Federation officials and security authorities, left Australia, and later rejoined the national women’s team training camp in Malaysia.
