Riyad Mazhar Criticizes the Draw of the Iraqi Stars League and Questions Fairness

Sports analyst Riyad Mazhar expressed his dissatisfaction on Thursday with the way the draw for the Iraqi Stars League for the 2025-2026 season was conducted, describing it as unfair and unconvincing for some clubs, emphasizing that the mechanisms used should be clear and transparent.

Mazhar stated in remarks: "When the mechanism is unclear to some clubs, any club has the right to object. For example, if I am the president of a club or a representative, I want to know the mechanism based on which the league draw was conducted, to ensure fairness and equality among teams."

He pointed out that the use of artificial intelligence in the draw raised questions about its suitability, adding: "The artificial intelligence came through La Liga, the official sponsor of the Iraqi Stars League, but does La Liga in the Spanish league use artificial intelligence? And even in the Champions League? This is something that needs complete clarification."

Mazhar touched on the impact of the draw on the teams, confirming that some clubs have been clearly harmed: "There are clubs that will play in the north and then head to the south, which affects the readiness of the players and increases physical and logistical pressure, which is unfair compared to the other teams."

Mazhar confirmed that transparency and clarity in the draw are essential to ensure the integrity of the competition, calling on the Iraqi Football Federation to provide a detailed explanation of the draw mechanism and how matches are distributed among different clubs, to ensure that there is no advantage or injustice to any team at the expense of another.