By Chris Ives Last updated: 9th October 2007
Dejagah: Political decision
Germany striker Ashkan Dejagah has pulled out of the national Under 21 squad to play Israel on Friday for political reasons.
The Iranian-born star, who grew up in Berlin, told coach Dieter Eilts that he did not want to make the trip to the Middle East due to the ongoing tension between Israel and Iran.
"I have more Iranian blood than German blood in my veins and people just have to accept that," the Wolfsburg striker told BZ.
Respect
"And besides I am doing it out of respect - my parents are Iranian after all."
Eilts said he accepted the striker's decision but Germany president Theo Zwanziger was far from happy with Dejagah's move.
"We can't accept players deciding not to play in matches as a result of their world-view or religion," Zwanziger told Bild.
"We are not forcing anyone to play for Germany. Every player wearing our shirt must identify himself with our country and its values, otherwise we will have to make do without him in the squad."
Wolfsburg player Ashkan Dejagah drew criticism today for planning to not participate in Germany's 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification match against Israel, which is scheduled to be played on October 12 in Tel Aviv.


The issue stems from the fact that Dejagah is an Iranian-born citizen. Dejagah was quoted as saying, "I have more Iranian than German blood in my veins" and "That should be respected, and besides I'm doing this out of respect. My parents are Iranian." Iran-Israel relations are currently tense and Iranian citizens are forbidden from traveling to Israel since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, while at the same time, Iran began to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. Several German politicians and media members have called for Dejagah to be expelled from the German national team.

This is not the first time that the Iran-Israel conflict has entered German football. Current Hanover and Iran national team striker Vahid Hashemian, when he was with Bayern Munich, was pulled from the squad scheduled to face Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in a Champions League game in 2004. Although Bayern cited a back injury as the reason for the Iranian's withdrawal, the potential visit proved controversial, with opposition to Hashemian's involvement coming from Iran's national sporting body.