Key Takeaways
- Atefeh Ramezanisadeh and Fatemeh Pasandideh remain in Australia after being granted humanitarian visas.
- The pair trained with Brisbane Roar but are not under contract and now seek privacy.
- They thank the Australian government and Iranian community for support amid safety fears back home.
Two former Iran women’s internationals have begun rebuilding their lives in Australia after the government gave them humanitarian protection. Atefeh Ramezanisadeh and Fatemeh Pasandideh chose to stay in the country following the Women’s Asian Cup in February, while five other team-mates and one official returned to Iran.
In a short statement released on Friday, the players asked the public to respect their privacy. “Our first aim is to feel safe, stay healthy and start a new life,” they said. “We still dream of playing top-level football here, but we are not ready to tell our story yet.”
Brisbane Roar shared the message after letting the duo train with the A-League Women squad last month. Club chief executive Kaz Patafta said the invitation was only to give the footballers “a friendly place to train” while they decide their next steps. The Roar insist there is no plan to sign the Iranians at present and have asked media to contact the players’ PR representatives for any updates.
Ramezanisadeh and Pasandideh praised Australia’s “compassion” and thanked Home Affairs staff who handled their asylum claims. They also voiced gratitude to local Iranians who gathered outside the team hotel during the Asian Cup to show solidarity after the squad refused to sing the national anthem. Images of the silent protest sparked criticism in Tehran, raising worries about possible punishment once the players landed back home.
Support for the pair surged again this week when their former captain, Zahra Ghanbari, was labelled a “traitor” and had her bank accounts frozen in Iran. The accounts were unfrozen after she reportedly signed a statement of regret, reminding the football world of the risks faced by athletes who speak out.