From the Weekend: Iranian Fans Told They Won Title When They Didn't

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With just minutes to go Tractor Sazi fans believed their rivals Sepahan FC, from the central city of Isfahan, had only managed a draw when they needed a win to take the championship.

Having run down the clock in the game’s dying moments, Tractor Sazi’s quest for the league — after two runners-up spots in recent years — finally seemed over when the whistle blew.

But as pandemonium broke out on the pitch the game’s TV anchor — knowing Sepahan had in fact won their match 2-0 to take the title — was left flummoxed and unable to explain the celebrations.

When reality dawned for Tractor Sazi’s fans — 90,000 were in a stadium whose official capacity is only 70,000 — the mood changed, seats were smashed and fights broke out.

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The AFP article dances around the point, but it seems that some officials—whether these were Persian Gulf Pro League officials, Iranian government officials, or some other officials is unclear (not the least because I don’t speak Farsi)—relayed the misinformation in an attempt to prevent angry Tractor Sazi fans from rioting after losing the title.

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