It happened today in the Iranian Sepahan gaming facility
Incredible but true, an Asian Champions League match was canceled due to the presence of a statue in the stadium. In the Iranian Sepahan gaming facility there is a monument depicting the late Qassem Soleimani, the general of the elite Pasdaran units killed in a US drone raid in Baghdad. Because of this symbol, Al Ittihad, the Saudi team where Benzema plays, decided not to take the field at the `Naghsh-e Jahan´ stadium in Isfahan, central Iran. After intense discussions between the two clubs and the referees, it was decided to cancel the match given that it was not possible to satisfy the Saudi requests to remove the statue. The managers but also the authorities of the Islamic Republic were adamant and asked to respect the regulation that prohibits political references in sport, as reported by the Saudi state TV Al Ekhbariya. It is not yet certain, but it seems that Sepahan now intends to lodge an appeal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regarding Al Ittihad’s refusal not to play the match. In a statement, the AFC cited “unexpected and unforeseen circumstances” as the cause of the match’s cancellation. The matter will be examined by the competent commissions.