Iran loses AFC hosting rights as isolation grows
Kourosh Ziabari - Asia Times: Iran’s fatal downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet earlier this month has reverberated to the world of soccer, chipping away at the Islamic Republic’s right to host matches against its Asian neighbors. On January 18, the Asian Football Confederation sent a letter to four Iranian clubs competing in the 2020 edition of AFC Champions League, notifying them that they would be banned from hosting their home games inside Iran, and that these matches had to be moved to neutral venues. The governing body of soccer in Asia cited “security concerns” in explaining why the Iranian sides were denied their hosting rights. There was little doubt that the fatal downing of a civilian aircraft belonging to...
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