Al-Ittihad, Karim Benzema’s club, made headlines after refusing to play its Asian Champions League duel against Iranian side Sepahan because of a statue of the slain Iranian general at the entrance to the field.
Workers at the Naghshs-e Jahan stadium in Isfahan informed the 60,000 fans who had turned up to support Sepahan, that they would have to face a team with Kanté and Fabinho as starters.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) later explained in a statement what happened: “The match has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. The AFC reiterates its commitment to ensure the safety of players, referees, spectators “and all interested parties involved. This matter will be referred to the relevant committees.”
The statue is of Qasem Soleimani, a top general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was killed near Baghdad airport in a US drone strike in January 2020 and is considered a martyr.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been tense and this edition of the Asian Champions League is the first, since 2016, where teams from both countries can play against each other both at home and far away. .
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
