Tehran’s largest football stadium was to admit thousands of women together with men on Wedesday for the first time since the the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The decision to throw open the gates of the capital’s 1,00,000 capacity Azadi Stadium for came ahead of Iran’s match against Spain.
The U-turn by Tehran provincial council came after the 1-0 win over Morocco saw tens of thousands take to the streets of the capital in rare and wild celebration, many of them women. More than 10,000 tickets were expected to be put on sale and at less than two euros each they were swiftly snapped up.
Member of Parliament Tayebeh Siavoshi, who has long campaigned for women to be allowed to watch matches live in stadiums, said she hoped the decision would pave the way for a wider change of policy.
