Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called the recent decision by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to ban Iranian football clubs from hosting international matches politically-motivated, suggesting that Saudi Arabia could be behind it, media reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2020) Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called the recent decision by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to ban Iranian football clubs from hosting international matches politically-motivated, suggesting that Saudi Arabia could be behind it, media reported.
Last week, the ARC informed the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) that four Iranian football clubs would be banned from hosting matches of the AFC Champions League over security concerns.
According to remarks made by Araghchi late on Sunday, this "unfair" decision could be influenced by Riyadh, which seeks to take political advantage from the recent crash of a Ukrainian plane near Tehran that killed over 170 people, the Tasnim news agency reported.
The FFIRI called the AFC ban "illegal," adding that it would stand up against the restrictions.
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed near Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport minutes after takeoff on January 8. All 176 people on board were killed. The crash occurred shortly after Iran launched airstrikes against military bases hosting US troops in neighboring Iraq. Three days later, the Iranian military admitted to unintentionally shooting down the jetliner, having confused it with a hostile cruise missile in anticipation of a retaliatory strike from the US.
