Iran football federation appoints Momeni as acting Secretary General

TEHRAN – Hamed Momeni has been appointed acting Secretary General of the Football Federation of Iran by president Mehdi Taj, replacing Hedayat Mombeini.

Momeni, who joined the federation in 2007 after working in sports media, has extensive experience in international football administration. He holds a master’s degree in Social Communication Sciences and has completed advanced football management and sports governance programs at the University of Lausanne, UEFA, FIFA, the University of Milan and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Since 2012, Momeni has also served as an international match commissioner for the AFC and FIFA. His assignments have included overseeing the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup final in Lithuania and six matches at the 2024 Olympic football tournament in France.

Mombeini’s departure comes amid growing controversy over the federation’s handling of Iran’s Asian club competition nominations. The federation had initially introduced Gol Gohar as Iran’s representative for the AFC Champions League Two, despite Chadormalou’s victory over Gol Gohar in the playoff to determine Iran’s third representative in the Asian competition. The AFC ultimately accepted Gol Gohar for the second-tier competition, while Chadormalou’s objections remained unresolved.

The controversy, along with criticism over Mombeini’s weak communication with football stakeholders, contributed to the decision to make a change at the federation’s top administrative post.