Iran's Protest to the Asian Football Confederation; We Hope Not to Be Forced to Play in the CONCACAF Region

The Iranian Football Federation has sent a letter to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), protesting what it describes as improper and biased behavior towards Saudi Arabia. After Iranian clubs were banned from hosting Saudi rivals, Lebanon was introduced as a neutral venue option, but Saudi Arabia announced it would not play there either. The AFC accepted Saudi Arabia's decision. Iran considers this an act of leniency towards Saudi Arabia and deems it unacceptable that 'any country that the Saudi government does not want, the AFC should also accept.' The Iranian Federation has stated that it is under severe pressure from Iranian media due to the AFC's decisions. The letter warns that the AFC is responsible for such improper behavior, having turned a blind eye to the wrongful actions of the Saudis. The ban on Saudi citizens traveling to Lebanon is seen as another clear intervention by the Saudi government in football, which contradicts FIFA and AFC statutes. In part of the letter, Iran sarcastically requests the AFC to prepare a list of Saudi Arabia's preferred stadiums and then have other members comply with what the Saudi government wants. By introducing Oman as the definite host for its representatives' matches, Iran emphasized: 'I hope Saudi Arabia does not prohibit its citizens from traveling to Muscat in the remaining hours, otherwise we will be forced to choose a stadium in the Oceania continent or the CONCACAF region (North American football area)!' The AFC issued its final ruling regarding the matches of these two countries in a neutral venue in a letter to Iran. Iran, two weeks late, asked the AFC: why was the AFC competition committee's statute, held in Doha, only delivered to members four days before the meeting? Iran has accused this confederation of providing false information and failing to adhere to its commitments, demanding a clear explanation of why the Iranian Federation was deprived of its legitimate right regarding the decision-making process on March 15. The Football Federation, referencing the satisfaction of Emirati and Qatari teams playing in Iran and the presence of ICSS officers at Azadi Stadium, protested that the final decision was made based on the letter from the Saudi side, stating: 'This decision is completely against justice and the AFC statutes. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, your decision has harmed the spirit of sports.' The Iranian Football Federation has also warned the AFC that 'Saudi Arabia intends to position the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf against Iran, and if such hostile actions do not cease, the Iranian government and federation will respond.' Iran emphasized its friendly relations with other countries by referencing the hosting of the national teams of Iraq and Afghanistan in Iran, stating: 'We consider it our right to pursue this matter through FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport to defend our rights against the claims of the Saudi government.' At the end of the letter, there is another sarcastic remark directed at the AFC officials, suggesting that since they have been influenced by Saudi officials, they should amend Article 3 of their statute and declare that political and religious issues should be involved in football.