Iranian teams agree to face rivals at ACL Preliminary Stage 2 in UAE
Iranian teams agree to face rivals at ACL Preliminary Stage 2 in UAE
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) released a statement on Thursday, announcing that Iranian clubs Esteghlal and Shahr Khodro have agreed to meet their opponents at the AFC Champions League Preliminary Stage 2 in the UAE.

Iranian teams agree to face rivals at ACL Preliminary Stage 2 in UAE

According To Iran News, The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) released a statement on Thursday, announcing that Iranian clubs Esteghlal and Shahr Khodro have agreed to meet their opponents at the AFC Champions League Preliminary Stage 2 in the UAE.

The AFC said in a statement on Thursday that Shahr Khodro and Esteghlal had agreed for their matches to be switched to the UAE following discussions with club representatives in Kuala Lumpur.

The AFC added that home group-stage matches on matchday one, two and three involving Iranian clubs would be switched to away fixtures “to allow time to reassess the security concerns in the country”.

A few days ago, AFC sent a letter to the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) telling them that they would not be hosting AFC Champions League matches for the foreseeable future.

In response to the AFC’s decision, four Iranian clubs – Persepolis, Sepahan, Esteghlal and Shahr Khodro – announced that they will withdraw from the tournament if the AFC insists on its decision.