Sosha Makani: Iran goalkeeper suspended for six months after wearing SpongeBob SquarePants trousers
The 29-year-old posted the image to social media platforms last month
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Your support makes all the difference.An Iranian international goalkeeper has reportedly been suspended from playing football for six months after he was pictured wearing a pair of ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ trousers.
Sosha Makani, a 29-year-old who has won three caps for his country, posted an image of himself wearing the garish yellow trousers last month before a game for Persepolis, his Tehran-based club side.
Makani was summoned to face questions about the matter from a ‘morality committee’, working alongside Iran’s football federation.
Authorities in the country are said to be highly sensitive over the way famous figures, particularly sporting and cultural celebrities, appear on social media.
The 29-year-old, however, failed to appear in front of the panel and has subsequently been penalised for ‘inappropriate conduct’.
"We made the decision based on the clothing of this national football team player and the impact it can have on society," an unnamed member of the committee told Varzesh3, an Iranian news agency.
Although the trousers do not feature a SpongeBob SquarePants design, users on social media and members of the Iranian press likened them to the cartoon character because of their colour.
Makani was temporarily jailed in January after a number of images of him posing with women who were not wearing the hijab were circulated on social media.
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