The Asian Football Confederation will be playing the wrong card if they decide to fine Indian club Mohun Bagan Super Giant for not traveling to Iran to play against Tractor FC in the AFC Champions League 2.
As far as the safety and security of their players is concerned, the Mariners have made the right choice to not travel given how volatile the situation has become in Iran of late.
For the unversed, Bagan were slated to take on Tractor in Tabriz in northwestern Iran on Wednesday, October 2, but the club decided to take a stance against doing so owing to the deteriorating political conditions in the country. They are now preparing to take on cross-town rivals Mohammedan SC in the first Kolkata derby of the season on October 5, Saturday.
This might hamper Bagan’s coefficient, preventing them from qualifying for the AFC Champions League 2 next season, and can also attract punishment from the confederation, but the safety of their players comes first.
If the confederation does decide to take action against the Mariners, it will be unjust and unfair towards them given that recent reports have also suggested that several aircraft have been diverted from going over Irani airspace.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs also gave a directive asking all citizens of the country to refrain from non-essential travel to Iran. Football may seem like life and death to several in this country, but in reality, it is just a sport meant for entertainment.
Read: ISL 2024-25 — Bengaluru FC Blitz Past Mohun Bagan
Iran have launched ballistic missiles over Israel
The situation in Iran has deteriorated so much that several missiles were reported being seen in the air during an AFC Champions League 2 game between Sepahan and FC Istikol at the Foolad Shahr Stadium in Fuladshahr, Iran.
Bagan seemed hesitant right from the beginning to travel to Iran for their game against Tractor as they were aware that the nation was bound to retaliate against its neighbour Israel, who recently shot down Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Tehran’s ally Hezbollah.
Israel, who are in the middle of a war with Palestine, vowed to retaliate against Iran after several ballistic missiles were launched at them. The situation is bound to go from bad to worse, and Bagan have taken the right call by placing the safety of their players before anything else.
The Mariners will feel hard done by if the AFC decides to either fine or ban them after all that has happened in Iran. The latter has to take a stance and decide whether they want to score political points or take the side of the beautiful game, as they were decreed to do so in the first place.
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