From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Asia soccer body holds firm in face of Iran Champions League boycott
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Despite threats of an Iranian boycott of its flagship club competition, the Asian Football Confederation confirms that Champions League matches involving Shahr Khodro and Esteghlal have been moved to neutral venues because of security concerns.
The AFC releases a statement saying it had moved two qualification ties involving Iranian clubs — Shahr Khodro FC vs. Bahrain’s Riffa and Esteghlal vs. Kuwait SC — to neutral venues “because of ongoing security concerns and the decision of several Governments to issue travel warnings to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The rescheduled matches will be played Saturday in the United Arab Emirates.
The AFC’s decision to move the matches comes days after the Iranian Football Federation threatened to boycott the 2020 Asian Champions League if they are barred from hosting international matches.
The IFF’s president Heidar Baharvand tells state television that if the ban is not reversed, Iran would withdraw its four teams — Persepolis, Esteghlal, Sepahan and Shahr Khodr — from the tournament.
The ban was instituted after Iranian forces accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane amid a military confrontation with the US earlier this month, killing all 176 people on board.
— with AP
The Times of Israel Community.