Enough is enough, political involvement without punishment from AFC or FIFA

[Rooyintan]

what amazes me is how after CQ complained about Ben Williams' terrible officiating in our group match, the AFC appointed him in our QF match and we all know he he basically handed a semi final birth to iraq on a golden platter and they still could barely get passed us. if that isn't biased then i don't know what is.
if saudi can pick their own venue, then we should be able to as well

Australia is the loudest and always the first to complain about referees, pitches, host nations etc. After Qatar snatched 2022 World Cup, the media, the football officials, etc all talked against Qatar. During the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia there were several suspicious refereeing and pitch condition in Brisbane was appaling and several venues had Seagulls flying all the time during the games.

Anyways Australia together with Japan, Korea, China, Uzbekistan and others have been quiet about Saudis + 3 (UAE, Bahrain and Jordan) controling AFC for one simple reason so far it doesn't bother them. Once decisions go against these countries they'll become loud.

[PersianLegion]

IFF: We have won the case in CAIS against Saudis and from now on Saudis should play in Iranian soil (last year)

Meanwhile:

[redmissile]

It is not a secret in China that Chinese Football Association is considering the possibility of join UEFA

[Rooyintan]

It is not a secret in China that Chinese Football Association is considering the possibility of join UEFA

Some issues.

1. Long-haul flights

2. Visas need to be applied for most destinations or when China hosting games

3. Europe might reject due to the fact China is not geographically part of Europe


But then again Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and Kazakhstan managed to become UEFA members so we would never know! China might be accepted.

[Kavian]

The following is from 2 days. AFC should really be renamed Arab Football Confederation [all non-Arabs such as Iran, Korea, Japan, Australia, etc seem to be guest members]. Appalling! FIFA remains a non-existant entity. Top global sport writers and journalists are also silent like mice!

Iranian Veteran Sports Journalists ask AFC to consider spirit of Fair Play
February 4, 2018
TEHRAN - Members of the Iranian Veteran Sports Journalists Association have asked Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officials to stay neutral between Iranian and Saudi Arabian clubs.
The Iranian journalists in a letter asked Dato' Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, to consider spirit of Fair Play.
“We are writing to express our disbelief with the latest development surrounding the status of the Asian Champions League matches concerning home-and-away matches between Iranian and Saudi clubs for the current 2018 season.
For the third consecutive season, matches between Iranian and Saudi clubs will have to be played on neutral venues. This is following the rise of political tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia in January 2016.
We believe there should be an annual review of the AFC Executive Committee’s decision of March 2016 as changes in circumstances should be taken into consideration from one year to another.
We were hoping that our clubs could play host to their Saudi counterparts in this season of the AFC Champions League. However, for reason unknown to us, the AFC Executive Committee did not even entertain reviewing its decision of two years ago.
We read with huge disappointment that our clubs would have to play host to Saudi clubs at neutral venues yet again.
During the last two seasons, Saudi clubs nominated Qatar and the UAE as their home venue, while our clubs chose to play in Muscat, Oman, with devastating financial impact for our clubs.
Due to strict visa regulations, our fans were unable to travel to Muscat either, with the exception of a few hundred local residents fans of Iranian descent, Saudi clubs played before thousands of their own fans making a mockery of a “home advantage” for our clubs.
With that in mind, it was understandable that our clubs looked for alternative venues to reduce their financial losses and having more of a “home advantage” so far as spectator support was concerned for the 2018 season.
It is our understanding that our football federation had first contacted Oman Football Association on 11th January for Tractor Sazi’s home match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli to be played on 12th February. Having followed that initial request on 24th January, Oman FA never responded to Iran’s request.
Esteghlal, on the other hand, chose to look for an alternative venue amongst Central Asian countries. So far as we understand, Uzbekistan did not respond to Esteghlal’s request. Kyrgyzstan declined due to winter conditions in February and Turkmenistan’s artificial pitch was not acceptable to their coaching staff.
With no response from Oman and the ensuing deadline to nominate our hosts, the Iranian Football Federation turned to Qatar Football Association seeking their assistance. Qatar FA responded promptly accepting to host the two games on 12th and 20th February.
However, we have read reports with horror that the Asian Football Confederation has made a unilateral decision on behalf of our two clubs, Tractor Sazi Tabriz and Esteghlal Tehran, forcing them to play their “home” matches in Muscat, Oman, in contrast to the AFC allowing Saudi Arabian clubs to “choose” their desired home venues in Kuwait and UAE for the return matches of the same fixtures.
Both Saudi and Iranian clubs nominated their home venues in the last two seasons as per the ruling of March 2016 when AFC decided that matches involving Iranian and Saudi clubs would be played on neutral territory.
Consequently, the Asian Football Confederation asked both sides of the dispute to nominate their desired home venues. At no point in the last two seasons, did you force one side to play at any given location.
However, there seems to be one rule for the Saudi clubs and another for Iranian clubs in this upcoming AFC Champions League season. This is a clear violation of your own ruling and against the spirit of Fair Play.
Following Qatar’s acceptance of staging home matches of the two affected Iranian clubs, the Iranian football federation communicated that decision to you on 30th January. Instead of simply ratifying that decision, you seemed to have ignored that letter.
While Oman had not responded to Tractor Sazi’s request, AFC decided to choose Muscat as the venue for both Tractor Sazi and Esteghlal within less than 48 hours of receiving confirmation from our football federation that those two matches would be played in Qatar.
Can you please give us a clear explanation so that we are convinced that this astonishing decision of yours was not the outcome of quick conversations between yourself and officials from the football associations of Saudi Arabia and Oman on 30th and 31st January?
Anything else is simply fabrication of facts that took place behind the scenes and away from the domain of Iranian football officials, the rightful body who should have nominated their desired venue to you, which they indeed did on 30th January.
We have been told that Oman have not responded to Tractor Sazi’s written request for their home game of 12th February even after your announcement. Esteghlal never sought to play in Muscat as previously stated earlier in this letter.
We read reports of Saudi football officials’ dismay of playing their away matches in Doha in various media outlets on 30th January, despite the Asian Football Confederation’s categorical decision to authorise Qatari clubs hosting Saudi Clubs in Doha and vice versa only a week earlier.
Those same Saudi media outlets and even official club social media channels in Saudi Arabia made your official announcement shortly after you had transmitted your decision to Tehran on Friday, which is a holiday in both Saudi Arabia and Iran.
It seems Saudi media and officials had advance knowledge of your decision, which indeed we believe they forced you to make. While the Iranian football officials only saw your official letter on Saturday, 3rd February (working day in Iran), their Saudi counterparts made official announcements a day earlier and shortly after Friday prayer in Saudi Arabia, on their holiday.
You have taken side in this dispute. Instead of using the power of football to help bridge the political gap to at least bring the football communities of Saudi Arabia and Iran closer together, you have widened that gap and inflamed the feelings of football fans against your organisation.
Members of Iran’s Veteran Sports Journalists have followed Asian football competitions since their infancy in the 1960s. Our football has been a great part of the Asian football sphere since those early years. The passion of our fans is unrivalled not only in Asia, but also across the whole world.
Those same fans in Iran feel disillusioned by the Asian Football Confederation and regard your organisation a biased one and against them. Will you do the right thing to act as a fair and neutral body to change those three-decade long lingering feelings?
Football is about players and fans. Administrators come and go, but fans will be there at the best of times and worst of times. And these seem to be the worse of times for Iranian fans vis-à-vis Asian Football Confederation’s treatment of their clubs.
“One Asia * One Goal” and “Bringing Asia Together” seem hollow slogans given AFC’s unfair treatment of our clubs. We respectfully ask you to put those slogans into practice and eradicate the disillusionment we all feel in Iran following this latest episode and unfair decision of yours.
You have allowed Saudi clubs to choose their venues while trying to force Iranian clubs to play at a venue chosen by you, and influenced by Saudi Arabian football officials.
With the first of these two games due to take place on Monday, 12th February, you must respect your own decision of March 2016 whereby you ordered matches involving Saudi and Iranian clubs to be played on neutral territories, to be nominated by both sides and not chosen by the Asian Football Confederation.
You have been entrusted with the running of Asian football across a vast and culturally diverse continent. Politics separates us across our continent while football is one social phenomenon that acts as a unifying force for more than half the world population within the AFC territory.
Please keep politics out of our football to preserve it as the beautiful game we have loved all our lives. Not too much to ask, or is it? Prove us wrong by doing the right thing please.”

http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/4209...onsider-spirit

This is a total waste of time! ... who is Iranian Veteran Sports Journalists Association anyway and what power or authority do they represent.

Why would Dato' Windsor John who in my opinion is no body at AFC should read this letter and decide to take any favorable action for Iran?
Iranian football federation is dumb ass retard. There is not even a single person who understands what process they should follow or what steps they should take to counter the unilateral decisions by AFC.

AFC knows how dysfunctional and retard is IFF and that is why they don't take IFF serious at all.

Arabs are signing the big sponsor cheques for AFC. AFC survives based on those money coming in .. the livelihood of Mr. Dato is dependent on Arab money. Do you really expect him to be moved by a letter from an association who has no authority.

Iran should refuse to go to Oman.

[Kavian]

IFF: We have won the case in CAIS against Saudis and from now on Saudis should play in Iranian soil (last year)

Meanwhile:

Khar e Khandan!!! (Smiling Donkey!) .. Eeen Arabeh behesh chepoondeh, but he still smiles!!

[Rooyintan]

This article is from last year, clearly showing that Salman Khalifa and Adel Ezzat are so lovey dovey. It basically confirms that Salman only holds the role of President of AFC imaginary and Ezzat is the real boss.



"The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has stressed the importance of Saudi Arabia's football role in Asia, especially with the history of achievements by the Saudi national teams and clubs."
source: http://ghanasoccernet.com/afc-presid...n-fa-president

The importance of Saudi Arabia's role means violating the rights of other members.

[Rooyintan]

What a joke!!! Back in December, Ezzat had accepted an award for "Best Arab national team: Saudi Arabia" in an award ceremony in Dubai. Were they implying that Morocco, Egypt or Tunisia are not considered Arab. What an insult to North African teams!

I can't wait until match day between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, that will be the day when Saudis will show themselves


Full article for the award ceremony: http://www.arabnews.com/node/1216186/sports

[Rooyintan]

I'm speechless. What is going on with this circus?

درخواست عجیب فدراسیون از AFC برای نمایندگان ایران در آسیا


در انتظار طرح شکست خورده!
درخواست عجیب فدراسیون از AFC برای نمایندگان ایران در آسیا

فدراسیون فوتبال خواهان تغییر برنامه دیدار های لیگ قهرمانان شد.
به گزارش ایلنا، تراکتورسازی ایران در هفته اول و استقلال در هفته دوم مسابقات لیگ قهرمانان آسیا میزبان حریفان عربستانی خود هستند و بنابر تصمیم AFC باید این مسابقات در عمان برگزار شود.
با این وجود فدراسیون فوتبال فعلا این رای را نپذیرفته و اعتراض خود را به این تصمیم فدراسیون فوتبال آسیا اعلام کرده که البته هنوز جوابی به این درخواست داده نشده است.
به همین دلیل فدراسیون فوتبال با توجه به فاصله اندک تا این دیدارها و البته نا مشخص بودن شرایط باشگاه های ایرانی از فدراسیون فوتبال آسیا درخواست کرده تا نمایندگان ایران در دور رفت مسابقات که میزبان هستند، مهمان باشند و در کشور کویت برابر نمایندگان عربستان به میدان بروند تا با توجه به فاصله زمانی مناسب تا زمان دیدارهای برگشت، تکلیف میزبان مشخص شود.
این درخواست عجیب در شرایطی مطرح شده که کمتر از یک هفته تا دیدار تراکتورسازی باقی مانده و به نظر می رسد فدراسیون فوتبال آسیا با این درخواست ایران مخالفت کند تا به این ترتیب شکستی دیگر برای فدراسیون رقم خورده باشد.


http://www.ilna.ir/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B...B3%DB%8C%D8%A7

[Rooyintan]

AFC hypocrites! Arab Football Confederation is what AFC stands for.

Article from some days ago. British Journo who is paid by the Arabs did not mention "Persian Gulf" as usual.

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/co...ckade-of-qatar

[teammelli91]

All I know is that I’m gonna laugh my ass off and enjoy watching Russia kill them in the opening match. And believe me, I’m sure the Russian team and teammates of our players (Azmoun, Saeed, Milad, Reza..) are slightly knowledgeable and aware of the BS we go through in the AFC with our “rivals”. Not that this is relevant but our Melli boys know the sneaky snakes who buy everything without any effort and most likely their friends do as well.

The point is, the opening match will not be easy and they will do absolutely everything to satisfy the Russian fans. Let’s see how the La Liga benchwarmers do

[Rooyintan]

In the spirit of peace, harmony and fair play, every country when forced to play in a neautral venue should have the right to choose a venue of her choice from the neighbouring countries regardless of what confederation the neighbouring country is a member of.

In the case of Iranian clubs, they should have the right to choose from Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Likewise Iraq and Syria should also have the right to choose Turkey for their home matches.

AFC has sided with Arab teams almost all the time by choosing Arab referees for matches between Iran and Arab teams. Also with regards to AFC Champions League selecting Oman or any Arab country as a host for Iranian teams has only been favourable to Saudi Arabia.

AFC must update rules to be "When a member has been forced to play home matches in a neautral venue, the venue must be a neighbouring country with a land border and when no land borders exist have a water border. The neighbouring country can be a member of AFC or another confederation. Ideally the neautral venue should be one without visa requirements for the home team"

Examples where countries can choose UEFA members as host for their home matches.

Iran can choose Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan

Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and China can choose Kazakhstan

Mongolia, China, North Korea can choose Russia

Iraq and Syria can choose Turkey

Lebanon, Syria and Palestine can choose Cyprus if Jordan does not accept to host them

[kastro]

Back in December, Ezzat had accepted an award for "Best Arab national team: Saudi Arabia" in an award ceremony in Dubai. Were they implying that Morocco, Egypt or Tunisia are not considered Arab. What an insult to North African teams!

I don't mind them winning that insignificant award as I indeed don't consider myself Arab at all. The only real 'Arab' country in North Africa is Tunisia as they're largely made up of Arab emigrants. They may have something to say about that award though!

[teammelli91]

I’m surprised nobody mentioned how there are only 2 Saudi clubs in the ACL this year as opposed to 4.

Makes me wonder if they made a deal under the table with the AFC so in return they don’t play in Iran’s chosen “neutral” venue and AFC will side with them.

I really hope they leave Russia with at least -12 GD. What a bunch of whiny little wussies. Whaaaaa! Whaaaaaaaa! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa! We don’t want to play in Qatar, whaaaaaaaaaaa!

[teammelli91]

Salah will wreck Saudi Arabia with one leg and both hands tied behind his back

kastro I bet you 100% 11 of their players will be goalkeeper vs your team. I’m hoping for at least a 3-0 win for Egypt. But you never know, they bought La Liga clubs they might buy the referees too.