Asian Football Confederation Fines Iranian Club Sepahan $200,000 and Imposes Stadium Ban for Soleimani Bust Incident

Clash over controversial Soleimani bust forces cancellation of game against Al-Ittihad, leading to Sepahan's punishment; Iranian club rejects AFC's decision, plans to appeal.

• The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has punished Iranian soccer club Sepahan for displaying a bust of Qasem Soleimani, a divisive figure between Iran and Saudi Arabia, causing the cancellation of a game against Saudi team Al-Ittihad.
• Sepahan has been fined $200,000 and is banned from playing its next three matches in AFC competitions at the Naghsh-e Jahan stadium in Isfahan, Iran.
• The AFC also awarded a 3-0 victory to Al-Ittihad as it ruled that Sepahan should forfeit the fixture due to the controversy.
• In response, Sepahan denies any wrongdoing and plans to appeal the decision, even stating it will take its case to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
• This incident reveals the ongoing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia despite a recent reconciliation brokered by China, with the Soleimani issue highlighting the deep political and ideological differences between the two countries.

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