Mehdi Taj made the remarks during his visit to the mid-season refresher course for Premier League referees and assistant referees in Kerman.

“Within the overall football ecosystem, refereeing is honestly the weakest component financially,” Taj said. “Compared to players, coaches and others, referees are making real sacrifices under difficult conditions. Their role is highly valuable and extremely important. My personal belief is that even if everything else is ideal two strong teams, perfect organization and passionate fans without good refereeing, the match will not have a good outcome.”

He emphasized that the Referees Committee and Referees Department must continuously work to improve the quality of officiating. “Decision-making and responsibility regarding appointments, planning and overall refereeing policies lie with these two official bodies as the custodians of refereeing in Iranian football,” Taj noted. “No individual outside these structures can or should interfere in refereeing affairs, whether operational or strategic. This principle is strictly observed within the federation.”

Taj added that the same governance model exists at both the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA. “Relevant committees make the decisions because they are ultimately accountable for the outcomes,” he said.

The federation president also highlighted the importance of public confidence. “At the same time, public trust in football must be preserved and enhanced. People care deeply about football and naturally have the right to express criticism and share their views openly,” Taj said. “On our side, we must also listen carefully to the opinions of refereeing experts and veterans and strive to improve the quality of our work.”

In closing, Taj expressed his appreciation for match officials. “Despite limited resources, I once again thank our referees and acknowledge their hard work after completing a difficult first half of the season,” he said. “I hope that in the second half of the season leading into a World Cup year we will witness further improvements in refereeing across all leagues, for both men’s and women’s football.”