Consequences of the Persepolis and Al-Hilal Match; Suspended Ban and Monetary Fine

The Disciplinary Committee of the Asian Football Confederation has condemned Persepolis Club to pay a fine of $70,000 and face a one-match suspended ban on the presence of spectators in the AFC Champions League. Al-Hilal Club, in its complaint to the Confederation, stated that Persepolis fans shouted political slogans and threw water bottles at Al-Hilal players. During the second half of the match between Persepolis and Al-Hilal, a corner kick by an Al-Hilal player was delayed because some spectators threw objects at him. Persepolis players, including team captain Mohammad Nouri, went to the spectators and asked them to allow the opposing player to take the corner kick. According to the Persepolis Club website, the Asian Football Confederation addressed the issue of the club's violation under 'equipment and clothing regulations' and imposed a fine of $40,000 for non-compliance with established standards. Persepolis Club has not provided details about this monetary fine, and it is unclear what violation occurred regarding equipment and clothing that resulted in a heavier fine than that related to the spectators. Additionally, based on Article 76 of the Asian Football Confederation's disciplinary codes, the issue of spectators and the incidents that occurred in the stands during the match against Al-Hilal has also been reviewed, resulting in a $30,000 fine. According to Article 33 of the same regulations, Persepolis has been sentenced to a one-match suspended ban from the presence of spectators in the AFC Champions League for two years. If similar incidents occur in the next two years in the AFC Champions League, the specified ban will be enforced. Given Persepolis's failure in the recent season of the Iranian Premier League, this club will certainly not participate in the AFC Champions League next year. The AFC has emphasized that monetary fines must be paid within 30 days of the ruling notification. Meanwhile, Persepolis is obligated to pay substantial amounts due to warnings from Branko Ivankovic regarding the termination of cooperation and complaints from former player Shpiti Arifi and former coach Manuel Jose, but currently lacks financial support, and its management situation for the upcoming season is uncertain. Former Persepolis coach Hamid Derakhshan is pursuing a claim of 300 million tomans. Alireza Emami Far, one of his assistants, is also owed 100 million tomans by the club. Emami Far told Varzesh 3 website: 'This type of management causes debt to accumulate on top of debt.' Nader Bagheri, a former goalkeeping coach of Persepolis, had a contract of 140 million tomans but has only received 34 million tomans. He states: 'Even if we file a complaint, the disciplinary committee's ruling will not be executed, and we are practically stuck.' Momeni, the fitness coach of Persepolis, is owed 106 million tomans. Hossein Abdi, the interim coach of Persepolis in the match against Al-Nassr, is also pursuing his claims. He has not yet reached a settlement from the previous period and states: 'The execution of the disciplinary committee's ruling is ready, but I have not taken any action yet.' Meanwhile, the new transfer season has begun, but none of the Persepolis players have fully received their claims from the previous season. The club also has about 7 billion tomans in tax debts. This obligation has prevented Seyed Jalal Hosseini from leaving the country, causing this experienced defender to miss the national team match against Uzbekistan.