Indian Tremendous League membership Mohun Bagan Tremendous Big won’t be travelling to Iran for his or her Asian Soccer Confederation Champions League 2 match in opposition to Iran Professional League membership Tractor SC, citing safety issues within the wake of the loss of life of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air strike in Lebanon – after which Iran’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared a five-day public mourning.
Bagan’s AFC Champions League 2 match was speculated to happen at 9:30 PM IST on Wednesday on the Yadegar Imam Stadium in Tabriz within the north of the nation. The Kolkata-based membership began its continental marketing campaign with a 0-0 draw at Tajikistan League membership Ravshan final month.
“We’ve got written a number of letters to the Asian Soccer Confederation and the All India Soccer Federation. We wrote to AFC yesterday as effectively that our gamers would have wanted correct safety and have already written to us saying they don’t need to go to Iran. On this scenario when no person needs to go, now we have written to AFC for various options like shifting the match to a unique place,” a Mohun Bagan official instructed The Indian Specific.
“Three days in the past, they (AFC) had written to us that the scenario was okay and that the safety scenario was below management, however the scenario has modified within the final three days. We expect a letter from them. We’ve got made our arguments and given our proofs.”
The continental physique is but to resolve if the match would go forward at a impartial venue. The seemingly consequence, in line with the AFC Champions League 2 rulebook, is that Bagan must forfeit the match, with a 3-0 margin in favour of Tractor SC. The Indian membership would additionally seemingly be fined by the AFC to the tune of $50,000, and is also slapped with a attainable ban from the competitors for a number of years. Article 5.7.2.2 states the effective to be ‘no less than USD50,000 if the withdrawal occurred after the graduation of the Group Stage’.
The Asian Soccer Confederation didn’t reply to questions on the time of print. They launched a short assertion on their web site which acknowledged: “The Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) has taken notice of Mohun Bagan Tremendous Big’s intentions to not journey to the Islamic Republic of Iran for the membership’s AFC Champions League Two 2024-25 Group A fixture in opposition to Tractor SC, which is scheduled to happen on October 2, 2024, on the Yadegar Imam Stadium in Tabriz.” The discharge additionally acknowledged that the matter can be referred to the related AFC Committees.
Reluctance of gamers
Bagan acknowledged that a lot of its gamers had written to them stating that they weren’t snug travelling to Iran within the current circumstances. Three of Mohun Bagan’s international gamers are from Australia, a rustic that has imposed sanctions in opposition to Iran.
Australia’s journey advisory states, “We proceed to advise to not journey to Iran. Terrorist assaults may occur wherever in Iran, together with Tehran or different places frequented by foreigners and vacationers. They may happen anytime with out warning. Protests and demonstrations proceed to be anticipated. Keep away from all protest exercise and monitor the media for attainable threats. Australians, together with twin nationals, ought to strongly think about leaving Iran as quickly as attainable.”
One participant and three members of the teaching group hail from Spain, a rustic that has additionally suggested in opposition to touring to Iran. Different international gamers and training workers are from Scotland and Portugal.
Portugal states, ‘Any and all journeys to Iran are completely discouraged’, whereas Scots have additionally been requested to not go to Iran. Air India flights have been avoiding Iranian airspace since April 2024 because of the tense scenario within the area.