Iranian football player with Bayern Munich not to travel to match in Israel

Bayern Munich's Iranian striker Vahid Hashemian will not travel to Israel for Wednesday's Champions League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv. The German club said the decision had been taken because the player had a back injury. Iran's citizens are forbidden from traveling to Israel and Hashemian's possible visit had raised a comment from an Iranian sports official, who said that the presence of an Iranian athlete in Israel "as an individual or as part of a team is forbidden according to the policy of the Islamic Republic". However, their presence as part of a foreign team was a new issue and would have to be discussed, he added. Bayern coach Felix Magath had said on Sunday that he planned to take Hashemian to Israel. Magath said then that he had taken the decision after discussing the political aspect of the issue with the player, who had agreed to go. A spokesman of the club said that the decision not to take Hashemian to Israel had been motivated only by his physical condition.