Iran soccer body sends Israeli team New Year`s greeting
Tehran official claims missive sent by mistake; Israel official wishes Iran a happy soccer year in return.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Iran Israel news Israel soccerThe Iranian football federation sent its Israeli counterpart a new year's greeting on Thursday, Army Radio reported, in what a Tehran official described as a mistake.
Mohammad Ali Ardebili, director of foreign relations for the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, told Army Radio that he had not intended to send the missive 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 in Israel 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 body spokesman 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."
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and on an optimistic note: IF this was a mistake...what would the israeli football association's address be doing in the iranian football federation's address book? happy new year israel ;~)
The poor fellow in Tehran was afraid of the repercussions from his inadvertent well wishes. He had reason to be afraid. This Iranian living in the USA has no such worries, so let me express, on behalf of the rest of the Persian nation, my best wishes for a prosperous 2010 for all Israelis.
[[ Mohammad Ali Ardebili, director of foreign relations for the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, told Army Radio that he had not intended to send the missive 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." ]] Best thing ever.
It will be, if you get rid of that clown!
apologies to Virginia Woolf.
... who punished their athletes for not performing well and embarrassing them internationally. It'll be interesting to see how the Regime will punish this poor soul back in Iran for his simple mistake (of recognizing Israel as a country worthy of well wishes) that turned out into a complex embarrassment for the disingenuous Regime which loathes the Jewish State. Israel did the proper, human thing and sent back its well wishes but you can just feel the terror in Ardebili's voice when he realized he was on the phone with Israel's Army Radio regarding this incident! Now, if Iran's team does well this year as compared to the others, will the credit go to the blessings that emanated from the Holy Land?
THIS JUST MADE MY YEAR :p
the solution for the me could be a football league. but it would be a good idea to let the arabs or persians win the first year...
A 'mistake' indeed. Somewhere in Tehran a quiet protester is grinning to himself. . .
Especially to those brave and courageous souls. May 2010 be the watershed year. May the bloodshed cease. May the people finally find FREEDOM. May sanity prevail. May the telephones remain open, gosh, who would have thought that a telephone call from Tel Aviv to Tehran caused such panic.
reminds me of Nixon sending a ping pong team to China... VERY funny
While everyone is having a good time wishing everyone else a Happy New Year, leave it to Fred to come and spoil the fun. Poor Fred. He must not have anyone to celebrate the New Year with. Happy New Year to all the good people in Iran!!
Happy New Year also for Mordechai Vanunu, arrested again because he likes to speak to people he like to speak to. But he's forbidden to speak by the Israelite government. Fascism rules Israel.
"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." - Haaretz Droll. I needed a laugh.