Stike him from the team...

It's always Israel that has players objecting to....

The German Football Association (DFB) on Monday controversially backed Iranian-born star Ashkan Dejagah's decision to opt out of playing in this weekend's Israel versus Germany Under-21 European Championship qualifying match in Tel Aviv due to "personal reasons."

n a DFB statement, the striker, who plays for Bundesliga side Vfb Wolfsburg, asked for "understanding" from the German Football Association that the "reasons are of a very personal nature and lie in my closest family."

However, the German daily Bild quoted Dejagah as saying his refusal "had political reasons."

"Everyone knows I am an Iranian-born German," he said.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has not recognized Israel's right to exist, Iranians are not allowed to travel to Israel and the country's president has famously called for Israel to be wiped off the map.

Although Germany Under-21 coach Dieter Eilts has accepted Dejagah's choice to opt out of Friday's match, DFB president Theo Zwanziger initially criticized the 20-year-old, telling German media over the weekend, "If we start doing things for political reasons, it will be sport itself which loses."