Al Ittihad vs Sepahan:The AFC Champions League match between Iranian side Sepahan and Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad has been cancelled owing to a contentious pitchside statue. Al Ittihad, which included former Premier League stars N’Golo Kanté and Fabinho, refused to take the pitch, leaving the 60,000 spectators in the dark.
The decision was prompted by their disagreement to a bust of Qassim Soleimani displayed between the team benches. Soleimani was a commander from Iran who was killed in a drone attack in 2020. Al Ittihad officials are said to have declined to play because of the “presence of political elements on the pitch of play that have nothing to do with football.”
The Asian Champions League match is taking place against the backdrop of serious political tensions between the two countries. In recent years, Iran and Saudi Arabia have put a number of restrictions on each other, most notably a prohibition on Saudi residents entering Iranian territory.The seven-year ban was lifted to allow this match, but emotions have not subsided.
The relic of Qassim Soleimani was a deciding factor for the Saudi side because of his contentious and frequently brutal background as a military leader. Soleimani was the head of Iran’s Quds Force from 1998 until 2020, when he commanded and carried out international and illicit military activities.
The Saudi team has allegedly warned match organisers that they would not play while a memorial to Soleimani stands at the side of the pitch for this high-profile AFC Champions League fixture.Both Al Hilal and Al Ittihad have been told by the Saudi FA to leave Iran and return to Saudi Arabia. Al Hilal were also slated to meet Iranian side Nassaji in the AFC Champions League.
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