An Iranian-German soccer player who plays for the German national under-21 side has asked not to play against Israel in a friendly on Oct. 12. The team has accepted his request, angering Germany's Jewish lobby.

An Iranian-born player for Germany's under-21 national soccer team has caused controversy by asking to be excused from playing a match against Israel in Tel Aviv this Friday.

Ashkan Dejagah, 21, said in a statement posted on the German Football Federation's Web site that his reasons for not playing were "of a very personal nature and have to do with my close family."

But the player had previously been quoted in Bild newspaper as saying: "There are political reasons. Everyone knows I'm a German Iranian." Berlin newspaper BZ quoted him as saying: "I have more Iranian than German blood in my veins. Besides, I'm doing this out of respect. After all, my parents are Iranian."...

...Dejagah fears not being allowed to visit relatives in Iran if he has an Israeli stamp in his passport. "I have nothing against Israel. But I'm worried about having problems later when traveling to Iran," he told the BZ.

DFB President Theo Zwanziger said Dejagah's request had been granted because he had convinced his coach that he had personal reasons for not playing in Friday's match, which is a qualifier for the under-21 European Championship in 2009. "My fundamental position and the position of the DFB are quite clear, however," Zwanziger added. "We will not tolerate a German national player canceling his participation in an international match because of his world view. A player who wears our team strip must identify with this country and its values. Otherwise one has to do without him."...