My First Team Is Khaybar, My Second Is Persepolis: Defense by Iran's Most Controversial Football Media Officer – 'I Was Angry'

Two seasons after the controversy at Ismail Kartal's press conference in Khorramabad, a similar incident occurred at Mehdi Tartar's press conference.

According to Sports Se, a controversial incident happened yesterday during Mehdi Tartar's press conference after the draw against Khyber Khorramabad. When one of the reporters started to ask Mahdi Tartar, Mahmoud Davudinejad, the public relations officer of the football board, suddenly interrupted him and asked him to shorten his question. The reporter, who was surprised by this issue, said to Davudinejad that he could not interfere in this matter, but this discussion took place, so that even Mehdi Tartar had to interrupt his speech and witness this controversy in his press conference.

This happened while two seasons ago, when Ismail Kartal was in charge of Persepolis, there was a similar controversy in the press conference of the head coach of Persepolis in Khorramabad. In that match, one of Khorramabadi journalists asked the head coach of Persepolis about obscenity to Alireza Biranvand on the stands, and Persepolis media manager requested that the questions be about the game, but at the same time, Davudinejad reacted strongly to Ashraf's speech. Interestingly, in yesterday's press conference and minutes after that controversial incident, when another journalist said to Tartar that the best Persepolis under the leadership of Ek has the best performance after Bronko, Davudinejad quickly interrupted him and insisted that the questions were about the game.

According to the media rules of the league organization, the public relations officer of the provincial football board, in the position of media officer of the match, is responsible for coordinating and managing press conferences before and after the game, and managing the time of the meeting and organizing the question and answer process are also part of his executive duties. Therefore, the person who conducts the meeting in this position is present on behalf of the football board and the organization of the match and is not considered a representative of the host or guest club.

Mahmoud Dawoodinejad, the public relations officer of Lorestan Football Board, was also in charge of the meeting in the recent press conference of Mehdi Tartar and Ismail Kartal's conference with the same title, although his responsibility as a media officer does not justify such behavior and the management of the meeting should be done within the framework of media rules and without creating tension with the media.

This incident made us contact Davudinejad to ask him about these events. He, who emphasized that he is a fan of Persepolis, explained the reasons for this controversy and of course announced that he apologized to the reporter who had argued with him after these events. You can read this conversation below:

* Yesterday, you made a controversial incident at the press conference of the head coach of Persepolis.

Persepolis club asked us to bring 10 reporters and photographers and we said that we had the most interaction with them and we did the most hospitality and they didn't even have a cover and we gave them a cover. In the press conference, I started first, and then Mr. Tartar explained about the game, and we were about to start asking questions from the reporters, when one of the reporters started complimenting Mr. Tartar without coordination, not asking questions. I said shorter, and I said you should ask the head coach after me, and not start the meeting yourself. You must respect the crowd. Maybe we wanted to start with you as a way of hospitality, but your action was disrespectful to all Lorestan journalists present in the crowd and even Tehranis. A little argument started and then the journalist himself accepted and apologized. At Mr. Kamalvand's press conference, we asked him to start as a matter of hospitality, and this happened, but after Mr. Tartar's meeting, they published it in such a way that I would be blamed as the media officer of the game, if this is a violation of the media rules of the league organization and AFC.

* In addition to this reporter, you got into a fight with another reporter in the meeting and objected to his presence in the conference.

He was the photographer of the Persepolis club, and even the leader's shirt of the Persepolis club was tight, and he came into the field without a cover, and I gave him a cover. Because his card was written in the name of the photographer, he sat in the meeting without coordination and he started talking on the sidelines, which I also said, you have no right to be present in the meeting. Of course, I got a little angry, but basically, it was their problem and I implemented the rules of the league organization.

* You are in charge of managing the meeting, but you cannot determine whether the reporter's question is short or long.

The reporter was praising Mr. Tartar, which I said was short. I think that the question and these issues were defined by Mr. Ashraf. In any case, I didn't see anything special that got that big. I did my job and duty and I am proud that I did my job right. Anyone who wants to judge is in their own hands.

* You still insist that it is your duty to insist that the question be short? Even if the reporter starts his conversation with compliments, it is not your responsibility.

You yourself know that the press conference is 15 minutes long and finally some media wanted to ask questions. If the meeting was longer, the time of the next meeting would be longer and it would create margins. That's why we said it should be controlled.

* Why are you so angry in meetings?

No, it isn't. This happened yesterday, but it is not like that at all.

* Two years ago, you had a fight with Alireza Ashraf in a press conference.

There was also a border like this, but it was not so severe that they magnified it so much.

* In that conference, Alireza Ashraf requests that the question be about the game and you are upset about this, but yesterday...

No, it was not like that at all. The question was completely about the game and not about Biranund at all. The question was about the game and Mr. Ashraf brought it to Mr. Biranvand. After all, Biranvand is also ler. I should have interrupted the question, but Mr. Ashraf interrupted. I don't let anyone ask questions outside of the game, and even in yesterday's meeting, someone asked about the FA Cup, so I interrupted. The meeting after the game is related to the game and questions cannot be asked about the FA Cup and future games.

* You define the story wrongly. In a press conference two seasons ago, the reporter was asking Alireza Biranvand about obscenity, and Alireza Ashraf announced that the question was about the game, and you were upset and had an argument with the director of Persepolis media about why he interrupted the reporter, but yesterday you both interrupted the reporter and continued to insist that the question was about the game.

Do you think I did something wrong yesterday?

* Why did you not emphasize compliance with the law last season?

I don't know why it zooms in. I agree that maybe I got angry because of work pressure and I accept this one hundred percent. I apologized to the reporter and we even kissed. Both he apologized to me and I apologized to him. Even in the next meeting, we asked Mr. Karimi to start as a matter of hospitality. I also accept that maybe my nervousness added to the cause, but overall I did my duty and my friends acted against the regulations, both the photographer of the Persepolis club and the reporter.

* Do you have a problem with Persepolis that you behaved like this for the second time in the conference of this team?

at all I myself am from Persepolis, do you believe? I am from Persepolis and I loved this team since I was a child. Of course, now my first team is the team of my city, Khyber. I am proud of my city's team and I believe that we should not let many people look down on us. We are small friends in all provinces, especially our friends from Tehran, but looking down is not right. Why don't we have a problem with independence? Why don't we have problems with tractors and soldiers? For three years, there hasn't been the slightest problem in our meetings, and it only happens in the Persepolis game. Why didn't we have any problem with Persepolis last year?

* Is your problem with Alireza Ashraf?

No, I'm not saying that, and yesterday we had the most interaction with Mr. Ashraf, and he knows how much respect we showed and did the work of journalists, but maybe there is a knot between me and Mr. Ashraf that these things happen. I don't say that I am completely absolved and maybe I had and still have faults, but in general it was maybe 70 to 30.

* Do you blame 70% of this incident on the opponent, if both the previous two seasons and this season you were the starter on the sidelines?

Both Persepolis was guilty and so was I. I should have exercised more control and I accept this, of course I did not commit a sin in terms of regulations, but this looking down on me made me uncomfortable, it was not for me, and the dignity of journalists must be preserved. Maybe I would have told the same reporter to ask the first question again, but it was not in the dignity of the media of the province to start it yourself and drag it on and take it to other issues.

* Considering these issues, from now on, will you keep your peace in conferences, or will we witness these conflicts again?

Yes, the eye. By God, after Khyber, I loved Persepolis from the bottom of my heart and still do. Of course, now our first team is Khyber. But they think that we have a filicide with Persepolis. It is not like that at all. Persepolis is one of our best teams in Iranian and Asian football and its birth certificate is known and we are proud of it. Both Persepolis, Esteghlal, Khyber and all the teams that are rooted and popular are a source of pride in Iranian football and their honor must be preserved.