02 October 2023 , 16:58
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Iranian club Sepahan's home AFC Champions League match with Al-Ittihad was cancelled on Monday due to the Saudi club refusing to play in front of a bust of a military officer.
Sepahan were supposed to host Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad, but the game was scrapped when the visitors turned up to Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium and saw a statue of Qasem Soleimani. He was a deeply unpopular figure in Saudi Arabia.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will now conduct a review into the incident. It's believed Al-Hilal's game against Iran side Nassaji Mazandaran on Tuesday is also in serious doubt due to the controversy, although no cancellation has been made yet.
Soleimani was Iran's most powerful military commander before he was killed in a targeted US drone strike in January 2020. He led Iran's military operations in the Middle East, with Donald Trump claiming Soleimani was "responsible for the deaths of millions".
The AFC have released a statement on the matter. It read: "The 2023-2024 AFC Champions League Group C match, which was scheduled to bring together Iran's Sepahan and Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad at Naqsh-eJahan Stadium in Isfahan on Monday evening, was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. The AFC stresses its commitment to ensuring the security and safety of players, officials, fans and all parties to the game."
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Al-Ittihad travelled to the Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium for the fixture and even trained on the ground's pitch. They were fully prepared to play, with manager Nuno Espirito Santo naming a starting XI, but headed straight to the airport when they saw Soleimani's bust.
The controversial statue was placed next to the dugouts (@ittihad_en/Twitter)What do you make of the incident? Let us know in the comments below!
The game was scheduled to kick-off at 5pm (UK time). Al-Ittihad said in a statement at 4:10pm: "The Al-Ittihad team has arrived to the stadium! With hearts full of excitement and jerseys ablaze, they're ready to conquer the field and make their mark!"
There were around 60,000 fans waiting inside the ground for the continental clash - chanting and lighting flares - but they were forced to go home when the lights were turned off. A video of Al-Ittihad leaving the stadium has circulated on social media.
Soleimani's bust also angered Sepahan's fans. A video of the home supporters throwing objects towards the statue has gone viral. Another video appears to show Sepahan's fans chanting "we don't want politicised football", although this is yet to be verified.
Al-Hilal's game against Nassaji was plunged into controversy when Neymar, the Saudi club's star player, reacted to a video of Nassaji's pitch supposedly being laid on Sunday. "This is not possible," wrote the Brazil international with a laughing emoji.