Kante's and Benzema's Al-Ittihad refuse to play Champions League tie due to a controversial bust
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 02.10.23. | 21:42
Their fixture against the Iranian club Sepahan was cancelled as the Saudi side was enraged with a statue of Qasem Soleimani
Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad refused to play their AFC Champions League match against the Iranian powerhouse Sepahan on Monday night following a controversial move by the hosts.
The Saudi club were enraged after seeing the statue of late Iranian military officer Qasem Soleimani, who is a deeply unpopular figure in Saudi Arabia.
🚨 Iran’s Sepahan game against al-Ittihad in the Asian Champions League cancelled after the Saudi team refused to take the pitch reportedly due to the presence of a Qassim Suleimani’s bust in the ground pic.twitter.com/OmXCMyE22q
— Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) October 2, 2023
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 game was scrapped when the visitors turned up to Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium and saw a statue of Soleimani.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have released a statement on the matter.
Unbelievable: 60k in the stands waiting for Sepahan and Al Ittihad in a tremendous atmosphere, but Al Ittihad refuses to come up due to a statue of Kassem Suleimani that is placed on the sidelines. If the statue won’t be removed the Saudis won’t play. pic.twitter.com/56MBGUA0qL
— Uri Levy (@Levyninho) October 2, 2023
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."
Al-Ittihad travelled to Isfahan for the game and even trained on the ground's pitch on Sunday. They were fully prepared to play, with manager Nuno Espirito Santo naming a starting XI, but decided against taking part when they saw Soleimani's bust.
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