Mohan Bagan thrown out of AFC Champions League, Iran is the reason, here’s WHY…

New Delhi: Mohun Bagan Super Giant is considered to have withdrawn from the AFC Champions League 2 after opting not to travel to Iran for their match against Tractor FC, according to a statement from the AFC on Monday, with a final decision still pending. The Kolkata-based club made this decision last month, prioritizing the “safety and security” of their players due to the unstable conditions in the region at that time.

“In accordance with Article 5.2 of AFC Champions League 2 2024/25 Competition Regulations, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirms that India’s Mohun Bagan Super Giant are considered to have withdrawn from the ACL 2 competition after the club failed to report to Tabriz … against Tractor FC on October 2, 2024,” the AFC said.

“Consequently, all matches played by Mohun Bagan SG are cancelled and considered null and void in accordance with Article 5.6 of Competition Regulations. For the avoidance of doubt, no points and goals in the club’s matches shall be taken into consideration when determining the final rankings in Group A pursuant to Article 8.3 of the Competition Regulations.”

Mohun Bagan SG was scheduled to play against Tractor FC on October 2 in their Group A match of the ACL 2—Asia’s second-tier club competition. However, the players expressed their reluctance to travel to Iran, which had declared a state of mourning following the death of a prominent Revolutionary Guard general in an Israeli airstrike.

“The matter will now be referred to the relevant AFC Committee(s) as appropriate for their decision(s),” the AFC said in the statement.

In their opening Group A match, Mohun Bagan played to a goalless draw against Tajikistan’s FC Ravshan.

It was reported that all 35 registered players, including seven foreign recruits, informed the club of their unwillingness to travel to Iran at that time.

“So we tagged their letters and wrote to the AFC, asking them to either reschedule the match or move the game to a neutral venue,” a Mohun Bagan source had told PTI.

“We have decided to not travel to Iran keeping our players’ safety and security in mind, because that is paramount. We have also written to the ministry of external affairs as their advisory states that you can go to Iran or Israel on your own responsibility.”