Profile Of Ali Daei, Iran's Supported Football Legend Protested To Children And His Wife Downloaded From An Aircraft On An Island

Iranian football Legeda, Ali Daei. (Photo: Instagram/@alidaei)

JAKARTA Iranian football legend Ali Daei has to accept the consequences of Iran's ruling regime for his vocal attitude towards the death of Mahsa Amini. His wife and son who were about to go toDubai were diverted and then taken down on an island.

Daei is an Iranian football manager and a former player. He is a striker who was once trusted to captain the Iranian national team between 2000 and 2006.

During his active time as a player, Ali Daei was noted to have played in the German Bundesliga for Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich, and Hertha Berlin. In football history, he is considered one of the greatest Asian players of all time.

Daei started his sweet journey in football with a local team in his hometown, Esteghlal Ardabil. He then moved to Taxirani FC in Tehran and spent a season there.

Ali Daei received an offer to join another club based in the same city, namely Bank Tejarat. He played for four years there, scoring 49 goals in 75 games for the club.

After playing for the well-known club Tehran, Persepolis and continuing their journey to Qatar with Al Sadd, Daei moved to the Bundesliga. There he listed himself as the first Asian player to appear in the European Champions League.

Meanwhile, at the level of the Iranian national team, Daei once listed himself as the international record scorer. He has scored a total of 109 goals in 149 matches to get past big names such as Pele and Maradona.

He also won the 1994 World Cup Qualifiers twice in the Asian Zone with four goals and nine goals in 2006. Cristiano Ronaldo's international record was only broken in 2021.

After returning from Germany's Bundesliga with a collection of German league titles and League Cups, Daei was noted to have strengthened several Iranian clubs before deciding to retire in 2007.

When he decided to stop playing, Ali Daei continued his career as a coach. He has trained a total of eight clubs, with three titles, plus having coached the Iranian national team from 2008 to 2009.

Although as a legend, Ali Daei's life doesn't seem to be that safe in his country. Most recently, his family was prevented from leaving the country because of his attitude in supporting anti-government protests over Mahsa Amini's death in moral police custody.

Iranian media reports said Daei's wife and children were on board a Mahan Air plane that took off from Imam Khomeini Airport in the capital Tehran to Dubai as Iranian authorities ordered a landing on Kish Iran Island in the Gulf.

"He said his wife and daughter were on a Mahan Air flight, which took off from Imam Khomeini Airport in the capital Tehran to Dubai," news agency Isna reported, as quoted by The National.

"But the plane was diverted and forced to land on Iran's Kish Island in the Gulf, where his family was transferred," state news agency Irna said.

Daei has been very vocal with the Iranian government since Amini's death. On September 27, he used his social media to ask the government to "resolve the problems of the Iranian people rather than use repression, violence and arrests".

His passport was also detained last October when he returned from abroad before being returned a few days later. His jewelry shop and restaurant north of Tehran were also closed this month.

Local media reported where Daei's business was ordered to close due to "cooperation with anti-revolutionary groups online to disrupt peace and business markets".