This move sparked debate within football circles. Although Mostafavi had led the team to qualification, many football insiders believed that the Safaei Farahani era marked a higher standard of football management in Iran. His tenure saw improved transparency, better youth development programs, and deeper integration with international football bodies like FIFA and the AFC.
Still, for Mostafavi, the dismissal felt personal and unjust. It became a defining rupture in his relationship with the political establishment and changed the course of his administrative life.
Lifetime Ban and Legal Disputes
The most dramatic chapter of Mostafavi’s post-federation career came in 2010, when the Football Professional Offenses Investigation Board issued a lifetime ban against him. The reason cited was that he had taken legal complaints against the football federation to courts outside of football’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms.
According to Article 64 of the FFIRI’s statutes, disputes must be resolved within designated football-related bodies, and going to general courts is seen as undermining FIFA’s independence model. Mostafavi’s choice to challenge the federation in national courts was a direct violation of this rule.
