Al-Ittihad's AFC Champions League Match Canceled Due To Qasim Soleimani Statue

By: Sandipan Ghosh Image credit: X

[{"selector":"#anim-168ca342-8552-48ed-9985-38e5f4a14547","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-17acfb21-3e24-4491-a582-8313b2c0f6ef","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 66.14411%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dae2f8a3-d768-452a-a899-9b63cfce440c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cdf6ecbd-b8b7-4313-bf4c-86f235c85556 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-70.5624998213744%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] On Monday (October 2), the AFC Champions League match between the Iranian hosts Sepahan and the defending Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad was canceled due to a pitch-side statue.

[{"selector":"#anim-787fce68-de8f-4c74-a23f-98c017b22790 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-63.657407318094606%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Al-Ittihad is now famous in the soccer world since the joining of French stars Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, Portuguese winger Jota, etc.

[{"selector":"#anim-03eb25e0-d8b2-4754-a123-9786016360d1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(16.0455136217678%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d73ca9af-ae41-43e8-9c3a-0dbb9102a296","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c94fe4eb-210a-4deb-96e8-1f86f26619a8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -491.40317%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Saudi Pro League club refused to play the AFC Champions League Group Stage match due to a statue of Qasem Soleimani in the Sepahan's home venue Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium.

[{"selector":"#anim-4186d94d-b25c-40fc-b32f-1107eb745781 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-19.388328959636098%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3b4ceac3-a506-4e3b-a684-f65a8d878305","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-15a0cb18-0034-434a-85a5-27b83d785eba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d1481320-b812-40d2-8db0-68ddf27fac72","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.41936%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Qasem Soleimani was an Iranian military commander. In 2018, Soleimani and other senior commanders of the Quds Force have been designated as terrorists by Saudi Arabia.

[{"selector":"#anim-323add99-a6fe-4b2e-8f16-937aad7a642d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.129807553097745%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bfb4b74c-733b-43be-9004-56a7f371c983","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-78b861d4-c4e3-4b9f-9491-3e67b22d9554","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60c81db8-1ff4-4a71-9c85-3efe72604e15","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Previously, since 2016, matches between Iranian and Saudi Arabian clubs were scheduled on neutral territory due to security concerns over rising tensions between the two countries.

[{"selector":"#anim-846ee887-5f22-4093-b0ce-4d2b444c7061","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-62750b19-ea9a-4f7b-afa0-92ab08cc79aa","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-180deg) translate3d(-98.09524%, 0px, 0) rotate(180deg)","rotate(-180deg) translate3d(0px, 0px, 0) rotate(180deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-14fb7343-ee32-4d61-8094-e25842eba9a4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-258a36c4-7157-462e-a0d9-de7bfc386fcb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(35.2812499106872%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will now conduct a review to look into the incident. In the official statement, the AFC claimed that the match "was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances."

[{"selector":"#anim-95e60406-7895-4743-92e2-6fa5992df932 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-70.5624998213744%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Although Nuno Espirito Santo-managed Al-Ittihad even announced the starting line-up for the away match against Sepahan, the club ultimately decided to not play the game after seeing the statue.

[{"selector":"#anim-667a1fc1-4f19-4880-bdf7-8b54fcda49db [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-33.31134250327979%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c4059d6b-438f-44ee-a33e-f9635d36bfeb","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-70d244b4-4005-41bd-8ac0-30593d8a2e87","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-504a1af1-6170-4333-8199-1cf409ac491e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.76316%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Close to 60000 fans were disappointed with that match cancellation. Moreover, some of Sepahan's fans were also reportedly angry to see the pitch-side statue.

Al-Ittihad's AFC Champions League Match Canceled Due To Qasim Soleimani Statue

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