The picture of Asiatic Cheetah that was printed on the shirts of Iranian soccer players in the 2014 World Cup will not appear on the costumes in the 2018 event as per the decision of the Iranian Football Federation.
According to federation officials, the logo is eliminated due to the sponsor's refusal to include it in the shirts' design.
The news was first announced by the head of the federation, Mehdi Taj, in a television program, ISNA reported.
Later, Hedayat Mombeini, director of IFF's marketing committee, provided details saying that Adidas, the leading sportswear manufacturer that is supplying Iranian footballers' apparels in the World Cup, has not agreed to print the logo.
"The special technology of Adidas with ventilation holes would have been disturbed with the picture of the cheetah printed on it," he explained.
IFF suggested other designs, according to Mombeini, which were all rejected by the company.
"We suggested printing the picture between the Adidas and IFF logos or on the back of the shirt between the number and the name of the player, but neither was accepted, so we finally decided to do away with it."
Looking for Solution
However, Mehdi Faghanpour, director for legal affairs at IFF, has stated that the decision is not final yet.
"Adidas experts have pointed out technical faults and we are now trying to find a solution in which case the picture will appear on the shirts," he said.
The Sports Ministry also insists that the endangered animal's image remain on the shirts.
"We are against the elimination because it is a positive cultural move that has already produced favorable results," said Reza Shajie, head of the Environment and Sustainable Development Office at the ministry.
He complained about absence of long-term plans to contribute to environmental protection, expressing regret that efforts often taper off over time.
"We will keep on negotiating with IFF to convince them to keep the logo," he said.
On the possibility of the ministry weighing in to change the decision, the official said IFF is an independent organization under the authority of FIFA, and therefore the ministry cannot interfere with their affairs.
"The ministry can only give advice."
He noted, however, that FIFA, the international governing body of the sport, has no objection to the plan.
Displaying the picture of cheetahs in the 2014 world event was proposed to draw global attention to the status of the rare cat and raise awareness about conservation of the species.
Environment experts believe the move has been effective in checking poaching and locals' hostile encounter with the valuable animal.
With only an estimated 50 Asiatic Cheetahs left, the big cat is teetering on the verge of extinction. It is ranked as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of the Nature.
Iran is home to the only remaining population which, despite protective measures, is still threatened by multiple factors, including destruction of habitats, road construction, lack of prey and the presence of cattle and sheepdogs, among others.
