Iranian football team (archives)
Photo: AP
Iranian soccer federation sends greeting to Israel, accidentally
Director of foreign relations for Islamic Republic's Football Federation says did not mean to send New Year greetings to Israeli counterpart. Israelis reply, 'Happy new year to all the good people of Iran'
The Iranian Football Federation sent a New Year greeting to their Israeli counterpart. Officials in Tehran said it was a mistake.
The director of foreign relations for the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Ali Ardebili, quickly responded to Israeli Army Radio that he did not mean to send the greeting to the Israel Football Association.
"It is a greeting sent to every country in the world," Ardebili said. He quickly then inquired: "Are you talking from Israel? I can't speak with you. It's a mistake, it's a mistake."
The greeting was received by the head of the Israel Football Association's legal department, Amir Navon.
"He came into my office asking me if I thought it was a mistake," said a spokesperson for the Israel Soccer Federation, Gil Levanoni. "So I told him that I didn't know, but that we should send in a reply."
Levanoni and Navon said they replied to the greeting with a "happy new year to all the good people of Iran," and said: "We also added a wink."
"We wrote them that we hoped that they would have a happy soccer year," Levanoni added.
Reprinted with permission from Shalom Life
