🔻Ali Tajerneya, chairman of the board of Esteghlal, said in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Broadcasting (IRIB) about Esteghlal’s championship last season: «The issue of the championship trophy is not something we can give up; using the legal tools available and through the routes that FIFA and AFC have, we will act; we won’t give up our right.»

🔹He said: «Of course, unlike others, we don’t follow it through political lobbying. But this discrimination must end; issues like that same offside that took the title from Esteghlal will not be erased from the fans’ minds.»

🔹Tajerneya also said that, with the previous season of the Persian Gulf Pro League being announced as unfinished, they had followed up on Esteghlal’s championship trophy: «From the day it was decided that the league would be “freeze” and the matches would not be continued, we had a demand for the championship trophy. But I’m not used to pursuing these kinds of matters with a lot of noise. We collected documents and submitted them. We had repeated meetings with the Pro League Organization. What Mehdi Taj said was the result of our follow-ups.»

🔹He also said about the proposed three-team and five-team tournament: «To me, this seems like an tasteless joke. If such a thing happens, it will be a matter of reduction for the Pro League Organization and the Football Federation, and it is not defensible.»