The former Team Melli and Persepolis player Mehrdad Pooladi is rumored to be seeking asylum in Britain following his problem with the authorities in Iran as the result of Military Service.
Pooladi who was Team Melli’s best player in FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, last played for Team Melli in the 2015 Asian Cup Australia. His expulsion in the quarter final match against Iraq after receiving the 2nd yellow card meant Team Melli playing the whole of the second half and extra time with one player short.
At the time, Pooladi was playing in Qatar Star League with Al Shahaniya and returned their following the elimination of Team Melli never to return back to his homeland.
The reclusive ex-Mes Kerman and Persepolis defender troubles began when he was named in controversial list of football players who dodged military service by presenting fake documents with the intention to fraud. The compulsory 2 years military service is required for all able bodied young Iranians after graduation from school. Almost all the players named on that list, accepted the consequences of their misconduct and their subsequent punishments, which included servicing the full 2 years military service. Pooladi was the only one who insisted on his innocence. He was adamant that he followed the procedures in getting release from military service without publicizing the details.
Pooladi who has always been media shy and did not give many interviews was said to promise the authorities to prove that his discharge was legitimate on his return to Iran following the AFC Asian Cup 2015.
Pooladi never returned back to Iran and the reason was a concerted media slander campaign where he was called a “fugitive” , “deserter” and even a “traitor”. It is believed that Pooladi , on hearing or reading those comments in government run media including respected news agency such as ISNA , thought he was fighting a losing battle. Dejected and angry by these accusations, he decided not to return fearing reprisal and imprisonment by the authorities.
A few insiders point fingers at unnamed Persepolis club officials who hatched this campaign against him as a revenge for him abandoning the club in 2014 when he was most needed in a struggling team. These claims are unsubstantiated, however.
Mehrdad Pooladi was one of Carlos Queiroz’s most trusted players. It seemed that the Team Melli head coach was swearing by him to the extent that he named him in a squad once while the left back was on crutches recovering from injury!