The People’s Champion: The Football Icon Who Sacrificed Everything to Defy a Regime

The admiration for Karimi also stems from his integrity regarding corruption within the sports world. He was a frequent critic of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) involvement in Iranian football long before it was popular to be so. He exposed the mismanagement and financial "mafia" that drained resources away from talented athletes. By tackling corruption in the arena he knew best, he proved that his dissent was not just about broad political theories, but about a fundamental desire for justice and meritocracy in every facet of Iranian life.