DOHA, Qatar -- The Asian Football Confederation has revoked the accreditation of journalists who angrily confronted Iraq coach Jesús Casas after the team's elimination at the Asian Cup and will bar them from covering future AFC tournaments, while the Iraq Football Association has said it will explore potential legal action alongside a ban of its own.
Casas was accosted by several reporters upon entering the news conference room after his side's 3-2 loss to Jordan in the round of 16 on Monday, with many pointing and shouting angrily at the 50-year-old coach and attempting to approach him before being escorted out by security.
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It followed a fixture in which Iraq conceded goals in the 95th and 97th minutes that led to their elimination at the hands of Jordan at the Khalifa International Stadium, after a controversial second yellow card was shown to Iraqi attacker Aymen Hussein for excessive celebrations in the 77th minute.
"The AFC is deeply disappointed by the actions witnessed during the post-match press conference of the tie between Iraq and Jordan and have taken the swift decision to bar the responsible individuals from covering not only the 2023 Asian Cup but also future AFC tournaments," the AFC said in a statement.
"Accreditation is a privilege that comes with the responsibility to adhere to ethical standards, and those who violate these standards will face the consequences.
"When faced with disruptive behaviour that poses a risk to the safety of persons at our events, the AFC will act swiftly to protect our stakeholders and the reputation and sanctity of our tournaments. We are confident that our response on this occasion will serve as a deterrent by sending a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated."
In his official news conference before the round-of-16 fixture, Casas had rubbished a question on whether interviews he had given with publications from his native Spain were a distraction as some in the Iraqi media had suggested, and pointed out that his side had won all three of their games during the group stages while they were being undertaken.
In a statement of its own, Iraq's FA also condemned the journalists' behaviour.
"We followed with great dismay the events that took place at the press conference of our national team coach, Jesús Casas, after the match against Jordan, in a scene that was more painful than the undeserved exit of our team from the Asian Cup," the statement read.
"These events have no connection to the authentic Iraqi media that is known for its honourable positions, and the behaviour that took place is a black mark in Iraqi media history, caused by certain names that took advantage of their unexpected presence at the conference.
"We denounce the blatant and abhorrent behaviour that occurred against the coach, and we confirm that we have decided not to deal with these media personnel who seek to cause chaos in the future.
"We will follow legal methods to restore the coach's reputation and approach the relevant authorities to explain what happened.
"We are taking further steps to preserve the image of the national team, and to achieve the goal that we set, with unlimited support from the Prime Minister, the government, our loyal fans, and our professional media, which does not approve of these actions that harmed Iraq and insulted the coach."
In further developments, Football Australia is providing support to Australian referee Alireza Faghani, who oversaw the match, after he became the subject of targeted online abuse for giving Hussein a second yellow card.
As well as thousands of comments across social media and his personal details getting posted online, a petition was circulated calling for FIFA to suspend Faghani, who was born in Iran, from officiating.
"The safety and wellbeing of all Football Australia staff and members of the Australian football community is our priority," Football Australia said.
"Football Australia is in constant contact with Alireza [Faghani] and is providing he and his family with all the support they require.
"Football Australia is also working with e-Safety and relevant Law Enforcement Agencies on this matter."
The AFC said that it did not comment on individual refereeing performances or decisions but condemned the targeting of officials.
"We strongly condemn any form of threat, harassment, or disclosure of personal information targeting our referees, players, officials and all stakeholders," the AFC said.
"Such behaviour goes against the spirit of fair play and respect that we promote within the Asian football community."