Follow usSaudi Arabia club Al Ittihad refused to play against Iranian club Sepahan on Monday evening because of the presence of a statue of Qassem Soleimani installed on the pitch.
The AFC Champions League match was called off and afterward, the Saudi federation told both Al Ittihad and Al Hilal to return to Saudi Arabia from Iran.
It’s yet to be decided what the consequences of this decision will be and when if the match will be played.
🚨 Al-Ittihad REFUSED to play against Iranian club Sepahan this evening because of the presence of a statue of Qassem Soleimani installed on the pitch!
(Source: @OrientNews) pic.twitter.com/sDLE1JptyV
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) October 2, 2023
Soleimani was amongst the most popular personalities in Iran, viewed by many as a “selfless hero fighting Iran’s enemies”, by others as a “murderer”. Soleimani was sanctioned by the United Nations and the European Union, and was designated as a terrorist by the United States in 2005.
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