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Al-Ittihad Club’s Asian Champions League Match Abandoned Over Controversial Statue Display

The Asian Champions League match between Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad and Iran’s Sepahan was called off on Monday due to a contentious statue put at the pitch’s entrance. The statue depicted Qasem Soleimani, a renowned general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who was killed by a US drone strike in January 2020. Iran’s ruling regime regards Soleimani as a martyr.

Unanticipated Cancellation

The match was scheduled to take place at the Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium in Isfahan, Iran, where an estimated 60,000 people had gathered. Former Premier League talents Ngolo Kante and Fabinho were set to start for Al-Ittihad. The Saudi players, however, refused to leave their changing room after witnessing the bust of Soleimani at the entrance to the pitch, resulting in the game’s cancellation.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) acknowledged the cancellation owing to unforeseen circumstances. The AFC pledged to ensure the safety and security of all players, match officials, fans, and stakeholders. The subject has now been sent to the appropriate committees for review.

Relationship Tensions and Security Concerns

The event illustrates Iran’s and Saudi Arabia’s fragile relations. The Asian Champions League in 2021 will be the first time since 2016 that clubs from both countries will be able to face each other at home and away. Previously, because to security concerns, matches between clubs from the two countries were played on neutral territory.

Only two weeks ago, Cristiano Ronaldo led Al Nassr to Tehran to face Persepolis at the Azadi Stadium. The game was played in an empty stadium due to the AFC imposing a one-game spectator ban on the Iranian club due to crowd behavior.