While the Iranian group has sung its anthem in earlier tournaments, together with the World Cup in 2018 and the Asian Cup in 2020, the gamers remained silent Monday as plenty of Iranian followers contained in the stadium booed and held indicators that learn “Women, life and freedom.”

The group and followers appeared to convey their help for protesters in Iran over the September dying of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody for not sporting a hijab accurately.

Since Amini’s dying greater than 450 folks, together with kids, have been killed. Human rights teams mentioned there have been stories 11 folks had been killed in Mahabad, as not too long ago as Saturday and Sunday, as navy tools patrolled the streets.

On Monday, Iran’s state tv minimize away through the group’s protest, however did air the sport. Soccer is a nationwide obsession in Iran the place faculties had been shut to permit college students to look at.

While the pro-government Fars information company didn’t air any protests on the sport, it did carry intensive protection of Iran’s 6-2 loss to England.

Support for the group has waned as posters of the gamers had been torn down in components of Tehran earlier than the sport, and folks took to social media to help England.

During a press convention, Iran’s soccer captain Ehsan Hajsafi vocalized the team’s dissatisfaction with the federal government and his help for the protesters.

“We have to accept that the situation in our country is not good and that our people are not happy, they are discontent,” Hajsafi mentioned. “We are here, but it does not mean we should not be their voice or that we should not respect them. Whatever we have is theirs.”

“We have to perform the best we can and score goals and dedicate those goals to the people of Iran who are feeling hurt,” Hajsafi added.

While the soccer group’s supervisor mentioned Iran’s gamers are free to protest the federal government’s heavy-handed repression, there may very well be repercussions for them after they return to Iran.

“At worst I’ll be kicked out of the national team, which is a small price to pay for every single strand of Iranian women’s hair,” Bayer Leverkusen ahead Sardar Azmoun wrote on Instagram. “Shame on you for killing the people.”

Iran’s authorities has already punished a quantity athletes and celebrities who’ve supported the protests. Actors Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi had been arrested over their social media posts, in accordance with official information company IRNA.

On Saturday, Ghaziani posted a video on Instagram with out sporting her head masking in an act of defiance.

“Maybe this will be my last post,” Ghaziani mentioned. “From this moment on, whatever happens to me, know that as always, I am with Iranian people until my last breath.”