Iran has has issued a life ban from the national team to two footballers after they played against Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv for their Greek club side.

The two midfielders, Masoud Shojaei, 33, the captain of the national team, and Ehsan Hajisafi, 27, one of the stars of the national team, appeared for their Greek team Panionios in the Europa League third qualifying round second leg last week.

“It is certain that Masoud Shojaei and Ehsan Hajisafi will never be invited to join the national football team because they violated the red line,” Mohammad Reza Davarzani, Iran’s deputy sports minister, said in an address on national television.

"They have a financial contract with a club to be paid and play for that team, but to play with the representative of a loathsome regime... this is not acceptable for Iranian people."

The Iranian government does not recognise the state of Israel - and Iranian athletes are forbidden from competing against Israelis.