Iran defender banned for nine months

Iran international Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh has been handed a nine-month ban by the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) after being found guilty of attacking a fan in Qatar last week.

Video footage showed the 23-year-old reaching out to strike a fan with his left hand following Persepolis' 3-0 AFC Champions League defeat to Lekhwiya.

The defender could also be seen shouting at the supporter before being dragged onto the team bus by a Persepolis official.

The Iranian club said in a statement they would appeal the sentence handed down by the FFIRI's Disciplinary Committee to their defender, who missed selection for last year's World Cup squad but was a late injury replacement at the Asian Cup in January.

Persepolis host Uzbek side Bunyodkor in their final Group A match in the Champions League next week needing a win to guarantee a place in the last 16.