AFC Criticized for 'Unequal Treatment' Towards Mohun Bagan After Relocating Ronaldo's Al-Nassr Match

The Asian Football Confederation recently made some changes to the location of one of its key matches in the AFC Champions League. While keeping the situation of Iran in mind, the Confederation decided to relocate the Al-Nassr vs Esteghlal clash, which was supposed to be held in Iran. The match was of immense importance, as it would feature Cristiano Ronaldo competing for the Riyadh-based outfit. But India's most popular club, the Mohun Bagan Super Giants, has called out the AFC's treatment towards the club after they did not travel to Iran for their scheduled AFC 2 match.

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AFC Called Out for Unfair Treatment Towards Mohun Bagan After Relocation Of Al-Nassr Fixture

The AFC recently put out a statement related to Cristiano Ronaldo & Al-Nassr's match against Tehran's Esteghlal, saying that the match has been moved out of Iran because of security issues. The Tehran-based club's home match will now take place at the Rashid Stadium in Dubai, UAE. While relocating matches isn't much of a big deal, the move was surprising for Indian football fans after Mohun Bagan was unceremoniously ruled out of the AFC 2 Tournament. The Confederation cited that MBSG had 'considered to have withdrawn' after they did not report in Tabriz to face off against Tractor FC for their scheduled fixture.  

A Mohun Bagan representative has criticized the AFC, claiming that the confederation had considered the same geopolitical unrest that the team had. Before deciding not to travel, the historic Indian football club also requested that the game's date or location be altered with the AFC.

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“(Mohun Bagan) notes that the AFC has indeed recognised the volatility of the situation in Iran and as such, has rescheduled or shifted venues for several games. Failing to apply the same standard to Mohun Bagan would result in unequal treatment by the AFC. We consistently communicated concerns about the volatile and unsafe conditions in and around Iran, particularly regarding the safety of players and staff,” the MBSG spokesperson said to AP.

The ISL club has now appealed to the AFC committee with the hope of being reinstated to the tournament. However, the Confederation has yet to present any comment on the scenario.

[With AP Inputs]