TABRIZ, South Azerbaijan

Araz News: The director of a Tractor Sazi fan club released a statement claiming that a spectator injured during Friday’s match with Naft Tehran has died.

Hossein Karimi, the director of Tractor Club Supporters, penned a letter to the Iranian Football Federation stating, “It is a lack of judgement that violated the rights of a nation. Today, a Tractor Sazi fan suffered a stroke and died. Who will be responsible for him and his family?”

“The people of Azerbaijan had been waiting for 45 years to see Tractor Sazi win the championship on Friday” as 100,000 spectators gathered to see the occasion, Karimi wrote.

Spectators in Sahand Stadium were shocked when they were mislead to believe that Tractor Sazi had won the Iranian Pro League Championship, after having been told that their rival Sepahan tied Saipa, which later proved to be false. Fans were devastated when they learned the truth and many took to social media to express their outrage.

In an interview with Iranian news outlet IRNA, team coach Toni Oliviera exclaimed, “we were tricked.” The Portuguese coach was photographed celebrating what he thought was a Pro League victory immediately following the end of the game.

Several Azerbaijani nationalist organizations sent condolence letters to the family of the deceased fan who has yet been unnamed. Ethnic Azerbaijanis are outraged at the resulting outcome and claim that they will remember the deceased as a national hero. Many are looking for answers and blaming the Iranian Football Federation and government agents for his death.