TEHRAN — Iranian sports officials expressed shock and
sadness Saturday at the
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) decision to exclude
three clubs from this year's Champions League.
اضافة اعلان
On Friday, the AFC declared Iran's top two clubs, Persepolis
and Esteghlal, as well as Gol Gohar, ineligible for the 2022 season of the
continent's top club competition, as they did not meet the "mandatory
criteria" for admission.
The "Blues" of Esteghlal and the "Reds"
of Persepolis are the best known teams in Iran, and their long-time rivalry is
illustrated during their emblematic derbies in the capital Tehran.
Kuala Lumpur-based AFC did not give further details about
its decision, but the criteria are broad and range from ensuring safety
standards to meeting financial and legal conditions.
The governing body did not respond to a request for more
details.
"It's really shocking. It's very difficult for me to
accept it," lamented Persepolis coach
Yahya Golmohammadi, quoted by
Iranian media.
"Those who caused this historic scandal with their
decisions must be held responsible," he added.
Esteghlal club executive Hojjat Karimi, quoted by ISNA news
agency, said "all the fans are saddened by this issue."
According to Iranian sports newspaper Khabar Varzeshi, the
AFC had warned the Sports Ministry in October to give up its joint ownership of
Esteghlal and Persepolis.
"The whole problem today is the presence of politics in
football," Dariush Mostafavi, an Iranian football federation official,
told state television.
The federation's president, Shahaboddin Azizi-Khadem,
pledged on state television Friday night that "we will learn from the
bitter experiences of the past, in order to take measures so that the football
of the country meets the requirements of the Confederation".
Persepolis made it to the AFC Champions League final twice,
in 2018 and 2020. Esteghlal was a double winner of the competition in its
previous format, and participated in the tournament on several occasions since
the new format began with the 2002-2003 season.
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