A professional football player in Iran is facing a six-month suspension after wearing a pair of bright yellow pants.
The morality committee of Iran’s football federation implemented the ban after a photo of goalkeeper Sosha Makani wearing the so-called SpongeBob Squarepants trousers surfaced online. The committee deemed the pants to be inappropriate, and determined that they were in breach of the country's strict clothing laws.
As The Guardian points out, authorities in Iran have been concerned over how cultural and sport figures present themselves in public, especially on social media. Recently, several women were arrested in Iran after they posed on Instagram without their mandatory head scarves.
“We took this decision because of his appearance and the impact it can have on the society,” an official on the committee was quoted as saying by Varzesh3, an Iranian sports news agency, according to The Guardian.
Makani currently plays for Persepolis in the Iran Pro League and competed with the Iran national team in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Although many athletes have faced scrutiny under the laws, this appears to be the first time one has faced a suspension over pants.
