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- Oct 31, 2010
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Avram Grant has said that a friendly between his Partizan Belgrade side and Iranian club Sepahan was cancelled because he is Israeli.
The two teams were meant play in Antalya, Turkey last week but the Iranians, who hail from the city of Isfahan in the Islamic Republic, pulled out of the match.
The Iranian government does not recognise Israel as a country and refers to its government as the 'Zionist regime'.
Former Chelsea and West Ham boss Grant, who took charge of Serbian side Partizan last month, called the decision "shameful".
"I never mixed politics with sports," he said.
"I had worked with many (Muslims) while I was in England, and I made friends with many of them."
Grant said that he had been told 'unofficially' that he was the reason for the postponement.
His club also said that they had to move their usual winter training camp in Emirate Dubai to Turkey because of Grant's Israeli citizenship.
World Football - Grant fumes over 'shameful' cancellation
The two teams were meant play in Antalya, Turkey last week but the Iranians, who hail from the city of Isfahan in the Islamic Republic, pulled out of the match.
The Iranian government does not recognise Israel as a country and refers to its government as the 'Zionist regime'.
Former Chelsea and West Ham boss Grant, who took charge of Serbian side Partizan last month, called the decision "shameful".
"I never mixed politics with sports," he said.
"I had worked with many (Muslims) while I was in England, and I made friends with many of them."
Grant said that he had been told 'unofficially' that he was the reason for the postponement.
His club also said that they had to move their usual winter training camp in Emirate Dubai to Turkey because of Grant's Israeli citizenship.
World Football - Grant fumes over 'shameful' cancellation
