Iranian Football Clubs Cannot Host Asian Teams Anymore

Iranian football clubs are pushing back against a ban on Iran hosting Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League matches, a measure that is thought to have been put in place for security reasons in light of the current volatile situation in the country. If kept in place, the ban will mean Iran will not be able to host World Cup qualifying matches. 

The four affected Iranian football clubs due to play league champion matches — Esteghlal, Persepolis, Sepahan and Shahr Khodro — wrote to the AFC on January 19, announcing that they would withdraw from the Champions League if they were not allowed to host the games, a decision that will have serious consequences for Iranian football.

According to Saudi Arabia news TV channel Al Riyadiah, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee met on Sunday, January 19, and put its support behind the previous decision taken. The AFC has not confirmed the final decision, but the Saudi television station said: "The AFC Executive Committee has confirmed the decision of the AFC Competition Committee to ensure that no international matches will be held in Iran until further notice.”

It was said to have based its decision on the fact that the Islamic Republic did not meet the criteria to host upcoming AFC Champion League games, an apparent allusion to the events of the last several weeks. 

Kuwait's Al-Kuwaiti football club had previously appealed to the AFC, saying it was not prepared to play against Iran's Esteghlal team because of heightened military and political disputes between Iran and the United States, the Revolutionary Guards’ missile attack that resulted in the downing of the Ukrainian passenger airline and the protests that followed.  

The AFC members then voted that the Esteghlal-Al Kuwait game would be played on neutral ground. At the same time, Khodro City Club, also due to take part in playoffs, was told it would have to play its matches in a third country.

The AFC also apparently said that some referees have refused to travel to and work in the country, presumably also because of security concerns. 

The decision means that World Cup qualifiers will not be held in Tehran either, and Iran will have to hold discussions about an alternative country to host Iranian national team matches.

If the international football governing body FIFA decides to take the same decision, this will be a further serious blow for Iranian sport, especially given the success it has had on the international stage in the last few years.