US EditionSaudi soccer team refuses to play in Iran over busts of slain general, in potential diplomatic row
- The Saudi al-Ittihad soccer club withdrew from a match against the Iranian Sepahan soccer club after a bust of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC Quds Force, was displayed next to the field.
- The Saudi team had asked Iranian officials to remove the statue and banners, but they refused, leading to the withdrawal. However, footage showed fans of the Iranian team chanting against the presence of politics in soccer.
- The bust of Soleimani had been in the stadium since shortly after his assassination, and the Saudi team had trained in the stadium without complaint before the match.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad specify reason for cancelling football match in Iran
Saudi Arabia’s football club, Al-Ittihad, issued a statement on Tuesday specifying the reason for cancelling its Asian Champion League (AFC) match with Iran’s Sepahan Club, Anadolu Agency reports. The match was scheduled to take place on Monday at the Naqsh-e-Jahan Stadium in central Iran’s Isfahan city. Unconfirmed reports said that the football match was cancelled due to the presence of a statue of former Iranian General, Qassem Soleimani, ins…
Bust of slain commander forces cancellation of soccer match between Iranian and Saudi teams
By Mostafa Salem, CNN Abu Dhabi, UAE (CNN) — A Saudi soccer team made a last-minute withdrawal from an Asian Champions League match in Iran due to controversy over a divisive Iranian general who was assassinated by the United States in 2020. The Saudi team, Al-Ittihad, which was due to play Sepahan FC at Naghsh-e Jahan stadium in Isfahan, Iran, on Monday, protested the presence of a bust of Qasem Soleimani, the late commander of the Iranian Rev…
Bust of slain commander forces cancellation of soccer match between Iranian and Saudi teams
By Mostafa Salem, CNN Abu Dhabi, UAE (CNN) — A Saudi soccer team made a last-minute withdrawal from an Asian Champions League match in Iran due to controversy over a divisive Iranian general who was assassinated by the United States in 2020. The Saudi team, Al-Ittihad, which was due to play Sepahan FC at Naghsh-e Jahan stadium in Isfahan, Iran, on Monday, protested the presence of a bust of Qasem Soleimani, the late commander of the Iranian Rev…
Bust of slain commander forces cancellation of soccer match between Iranian and Saudi teams
A Saudi soccer team made a last-minute withdrawal from an Asian Champions League match in Iran due to controversy over a divisive Iranian general who was assassinated by the United States in 2020.
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