The crazy world of Iranian football

A few months ago, the former Iran International Khodad Azizi was warming up with his team at the time for a first division game.

The field was pitch B of the Azadi Stadium. The under six f00t Azizi wondered under the goal post, reached up, and to his surprised he could touch the cross post!

He informed the referee of his discovery. The referee, obviously an inquisitive person, asked Azizi what he was trying to imply. Always a joker, Azizi replied that he meant to say that either he had grown a few inches since the night before or that the goal posts had shrunk!

As it turned out Azizi’s height was not the problem, and more interestingly further research into the stadium records revealed that no work had been done on the goal posts for over 25 years meaning that the goalposts had been shorter than regulation posts for over a quarter of a century and no one had noticed it!