Football games canceled in Iran
Saudi Arabia’s champions refuse to play in the Champions League because of this bust
As of: 12:17 p.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
The object of offense: the bust of Qassem Soleimani. The Revolutionary Guard general was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq on January 3, 2020
Quelle: AP/Morteza Salehi
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The bust of a former military officer in the stadium is said to have persuaded Saudi Arabia’s football champions Al-Ittihad not to play in the Champions League game in Iran. Shortly before kick-off there was a serious argument between the two teams.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is now concerned about a strange game cancellation in the Asian Champions League. According to media reports, the Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad did not play against Sepahan FC in Isfahan in protest against the bust of a former high-ranking Iranian military officer. The Asian Football Confederation said the game was canceled due to “unexpected and unforeseen circumstances”.
According to media reports, there was a bust of Qassem Soleimani at the Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium. The Revolutionary Guard general was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq on January 3, 2020.
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“The presence of the bust is completely inappropriate,” said an official from the Saudi delegation. “We asked them to remove the bust before the game, but they didn’t do that.” There was then an argument. In the stadium, the Sepahan players were already warming up on the pitch, and thousands of spectators were waiting in the stands for kick-off.
Sepahan’s players leave the pitch after the game against Al-Ittihad was canceled at short notice
Quelle: AFP/MORTEZA SALEHI
According to a report by Arab News, Saudi players and officials refused to enter the stadium. English media such as “Mirror” and “Sun” also took up the topic. The “Al-Ekhbariya” broadcaster reported on Monday evening that the Al-Ittihad team, which includes stars such as Karim Benzema, Fabinho, Jota and N’Golo Kanté, had already left Iran for Saudi Arabia .
Diplomatic tensions between countries
Mohammed Reza Saket told Iranian state television that they would “immediately complain to the AFC” about the incident. “Ittihad’s request was outside sporting customs and violated standard principles,” Sepahan’s managing director added. The stadium in Isfahan has already hosted numerous international games with the same appearance.
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Just recently the first game of a club from Saudi Arabia took place in Iran. On September 19th, Al-Nassr with Cristiano Ronaldo defeated the Iranian top club Persepolis 2-0 in Tehran. It was the first time in several years that a Saudi Arabian club had been welcomed to Iran. There had been diplomatic tensions between Tehran and Riyadh for years, and in March the regional powers in the Gulf announced a resumption of relations.
