Iraq’s soccer federation bans fans, fines clubs after stadium violence sees match abandoned

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi soccer federation’s Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday issued a series of sanctions following violent crowd unrest that forced the April 22 Iraq Stars League match between Newroz and Zakho to be abandoned in the 80th minute.

The committee announced that fans of both clubs will be banned from attending their teams’ home matches for the rest of the 2024–2025 season. Each club has also been fined 25 million Iraqi dinars (about $17,240).

The match, which was goalless when suspended, will resume from the 80th minute at a neutral venue to be determined later by the Competitions Committee. The match supervisor has been suspended from his duties until the end of the season for what the Federation described as a weak security assessment.

Additionally, clubs in the Kurdistan Region have been instructed to ensure adequate and qualified security forces at stadiums in compliance with both Iraqi and Asian Football Confederation regulations. The Federation also granted the right to individuals injured during the incident to pursue legal action seeking compensation for both material and emotional harm.

In its statement, the committee said the decisions were taken to protect public safety and to ensure discipline and respect for regulations in Iraqi stadiums. It added that all rulings are subject to appeal under the Federation’s established procedures.

Tensions erupted on April 22 during the Iraq Stars League match between Newroz and Zakho at Newroz Stadium in Sulaymaniyah. What began as verbal provocations between rival fans escalated into violence when objects were thrown from the stands. Spectators tore out seats and hurled them across sections before dozens stormed the pitch, forcing players and staff to retreat under security escort. The match was abandoned with the score still 0–0. The Sulaymaniyah Health Directorate later confirmed 62 people were injured in the unrest.