Iran's new football set-up by Feb 7

DPA - The new set-up of the Iranian Football Federation (FFI) is to be finalised by Feb 7, it was reported by ISNA news agency.

The announcement came after Wednesday's session of FFI's special transitory board, which is charged with changing the federation's structures to end a row with football's world governing body FIFA, ISNA said.

FIFA in November suspended Iran for excessive government interference in football, but later agreed to temporarily lift the suspension until a new set-up independent of the state was approved.

Iran was forced in December to form a six-member FFI transitory board to amend the federation's structure within 100 days and to achieve independence from the government.

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran's Olympic committee and all of its sports federations are run by the so-called Physical Education Organisation.

The head of this sports organisation has always been a deputy to the president. Mohammad Aliabadi, who is also the vice president of Iran, currently holds the position.

Changing the status quo would oblige Iran to exclude football from the jurisdiction of the sport's organisation.