Are soccer players addressed as "Your Excellency"?

According to people taking a recent BBC poll, Iran has the most negative influence of any nation in the world. (Guess who occupies the "second worst" position.) If only those poor, misguided poll-takers had read the following from IRNA:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that Iranian people have always endeared Latin American nations' freedom movements against despotism and the hegemonic system.

In a message to Argentine soccer celebrity Diego Maradona, President Ahmadinejad thanked Legendary soccer player for supporting the Iranian nation and bestowing an autographed T-shirt on the Iranian nation as a sign of his affection for Iran.

In a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Buenos Aires Mohsen Baharavand in December, 2007, Maradona presented the T-shirt which read "With all my affection to Iranian people".

"I am with the Iranian people, from the bottom of my heart, I support them. I say it because I feel it, because I mean it," he added.

President Ahmadinejad's message to Maradona reads, "I am sincerely thankful for his Excellency's kindness towards the righteous and revolutionary Iranian nation. Latin America is the land of pure, hospitable, kind and oppressed nations, on whose body one can see deep scars of whips stroke by the arrogance for several hundred years. We are well aware of the heavy political pressures exerted on the Argentine government and nation to give up their legal rights, dignity and independence and pitting Argentine government against the independent, free and revolutionary governments."

"We are confident that the nice nation and revolutionary statesmen and politicians of the country will along with other sincere Latin American nations continue with their glorious resistance and make the ill-wishers unhappy in light of their unity and vigilance. We will always remain beside you and are confident that future belongs to nations."

He went on to say, "We do know that championship of the youth of the country in the sports arenas, especially in the field of football, is sign of the nations' strong and valuable talents and is an outcry against backwardness caused by domination of the arrogance."

Nothing thwarts the schemes of the World Arrogance like sports success!

He noted, "The Iranian nation has always been endearing and supporting the freedom seeking and liberation movements of the Latin American nations against the despotic and the hegemonic systems. We are thankful to God Almighty for growing awakening and the justice and independence seeking movements in that important part of the world." Concluding his message, Ahmadinejad prayed God Almighty for success of the famous figure, Maradona, in serving the great Argentinean nation and for victory, progress and success of the Latin American nations, especially Argentineans.

Isn't that sweet? Just brings tears to your eyes, doesn't it?

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Tags: Iran, Ahmadinejad, soccer, Diego Maradona