Mohun Bagan SG from India opts out of traveling to Iran for Champions League 2 match due to safety concerns

Indian football club Mohun Bagan SG has made the decision to not travel to Iran for their upcoming AFC Champions League clash against Tractor FC. The match, originally scheduled for Wednesday (Oct 2), may either be postponed or Tractor FC could be given a walkover as the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) deliberates on the situation.

It is learnt that the Indian side wants to avoid travelling to Iran as the country is experiencing high tension due to a war-like situation with Israel. They are also currently observing a five-day state of mourning following the death of a prominent general in its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

"Our 35 registered players, including seven foreigners, wrote to a club that they don't want to go to Iran now. 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 told PTI on Monday from Kolkata.

"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," the source added.

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According to the earlier plan, the Kolkata-based giants were set to travel to Iran from Bengaluru after their Indian Super League (ISL) clash against Bengaluru FC. However, with tensions rising high in the region several players raised safety issues and wanted to avoid traveling.

As things stand, AFC is yet to comment on the issue and will have a huge call to make in the coming days. With fixture congestion and a lack of slots to adjust the fixtures, it will be interesting to see how AFC deals with the matter. In case the fixture is postponed, it could take place in December at the end of the group stage. However, if the AFC turns down Mohun Bagan’s appeal for a postponement, Tractor FC could be awarded all three points.