Continued Controversies Over Canceled Match; Nighttime Installation of Banners in Tehran; Saudi Football Federation: We Will Pursue the Rights of Al-Ittihad Club

The Saudi Football Federation, in response to the controversies arising after the cancellation of the match between Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia and Sepahan of Isfahan, announced its "full support" for Al-Ittihad and emphasized that "we will take all legal avenues to protect the rights of this club." The federation's statement mentioned that the decision to not hold the match was made by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) based on reports from its representatives present at the stadium. The AFC also stated that the reason for the cancellation was due to "unexpected and unforeseen circumstances." This sports body emphasized that "this matter will be referred to the relevant committees." Sepahan Club also reacted by stating that "due to the departure of the Al-Ittihad team from the stadium, we have prepared our evidence for a complaint to the AFC and will take necessary legal action as soon as possible." The presence of a statue of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, at the Naqsh-e Jahan Stadium in Isfahan was cited as the reason for the Saudi team's absence, and reports indicate that the refusal of officials to remove this statue from the sports complex led to the match's cancellation. The Saudi newspaper "Arab News" reported that the match between Al-Ittihad and "Sepahan Iran" was officially canceled after the Saudi team and officials refused to enter the stadium where the "Qassem Soleimani" statue was displayed. Meanwhile, Tehran municipality officials took action by installing numerous banners of Qassem Soleimani throughout the city following the events in Isfahan. The nighttime installation of these banners occurred as images showed that spectators, after the match was canceled, threw various objects at the statue of Qassem Soleimani. Videos released showed angry spectators chanting against the Islamic Republic and the politicization of football. This match has had other controversies as well. In a video shared on social media, a stadium security officer admitted that 200 selected women were to be allowed into the stadium to avoid issues with the AFC, a situation that may have repercussions for Iranian football. These events come as the AFC announced on September 4 that Saudi Arabia and Iran had reached an agreement to resume club competitions in both countries after seven years. Riyadh officially severed ties with Iran in January 2016 following attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran during protests against the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a Shia cleric. The AFC subsequently decided that home-and-away matches between the two countries would be held in neutral venues, a decision the confederation described at the time as its "most regrettable." Last winter, relations between the two countries were restored based on an agreement signed with Chinese mediation.