The announcement of his signature in Sepahan had surprised everyone. In search of a second breath after his departure from AS Monaco, Wissam Ben Yedder seemed to have found an exit door in Iran, in an exotic but interesting championship. But barely arrived, the former French international saw his new club turn his back on him, stopped net by the Iranian League which refuses to validate his transfer because of his judicial history.
Sentenced to two years suspended prison sentence for sexual assault at the end of 2024 – a judgment he disputed on appeal – Ben Yedder has a reputation that has become a burden. If some hoped that the case would turn over time, the consequences continue to catch it. Already failed by the Venice club last fall for the same reasons, here it is again on the sidelines. And in a country like Iran, where moral and judicial issues are scrutinized with rigor, this sidelines hardly surprises.
Thunderbolt: The Iranian League blocks Ben Yedder!
Iranian authorities can hardly blame for their refusal to record it. They apply their principles, and in the local cultural context, such a profile does not pass. But the real question is elsewhere: could Ben Yedder really ignore that his locker is a problem? At 34, and after two resounding failures, the French scorer now seems to be “died” – media and sportingly – to the point of being undesirable in many countries.
Fell, rejected, isolated: Ben Yedder in full descent into hell
Sporting, the former Monegasque still has arguments: more than 270 career goals, significant passages in Toulouse, Seville, Monaco and in the French team. But today, his image weighs heavier than his statistics. Clubs who want to avoid controversies close to him, and the rare remaining tracks are diminished.
Ben Yedder's trajectory darkens. As clubs turn away from him, the prospect of a final professional challenge is moving away. Rebound seems difficult, as the looks are now turned on his past more than on his talent. At this stage, it is less a question of form than reputation. And in modern football, that is enough to break a career.
