Iran’s national goalkeeper Sosha Makani has been suspended for six months after a photo of him circulated on social media in yellow trousers that many said reminded them of the animated character SpongeBob SquarePants.
The Iranian Football Federation’s Morality Committee took issue with the outfit as being inappropriate according to the BBC.
The ruling can be appealed but it may not be as easy given that this is not Makani’s first offense, the BBC says. Iran has strict social laws on dress and behavior, and he was arrested after pictures of him with a woman he was not related to surfaced in January.
[BBC]
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- Meet TIME’s Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
- After Visiting Both Ends of the Earth, I Realized How Much Trouble We’re In
- Google Is Making It Easier to Remove Personal Info From Search
- Oil Companies Posted Huge Profits. Here’s Where The Cash Will Go (Hint: Not Climate)
- Column: We Asked Hundreds of Americans About Abortion. Their Feelings Were Complicated
- A Short History of the Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of the Marcos Family
- Long-Lasting Birth Control Is Already Hard to Get. Advocates Worry It May Only Get Worse
- Who Should Be on the 2022 TIME100? Vote Now
Read More From TIME
