Mohun Bagan Super Giant considered withdrawn from Champions League 2, says AFC

New Delhi: Mohun Bagan Super Giant are regarded as to have withdrawn from the AFC Champions League 2 after the Kolkata side determined against travelling to Iran to face Tractor FC, the continental body AFC said on Monday, pending as well decision on the matter. Keeping their players’ ‘safety and security’ in mind, Mohun Bagan Super Giant had last month determined against travelling to Iran for the October 2 match caused by the volatile situation that prevailed within the west Asian nation in the interim.

“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the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirms that India’s Mohun Bagan Super Giant are regarded as to have withdrawn from the ACL 2 competition after the club failed to report back to Tabriz … against Tractor FC on October 2, 2024,” the AFC said.

“Consequently, all matches played by Mohun Bagan SG are cancelled and regarded as null and void in response to Article 5.6 of Competition Regulations. For the avoidance of doubt, no points and goals within the club’s matches will likely be taken into consideration when determining the ultimate rankings in Group A pursuant to Article eight.3 of the Competition Regulations.”

Mohun Bagan Super Giant were to play Tractor FC on October 2 in their Group A match of the ACL 2 — the continent’s 2d tier club competition — but their players expressed unwillingness to play in Iran, which had announced a state of mourning following the death of a prominent general of the Revolutionary Guard in an Israeli air strike.

“The matter will now be referred to the relevant AFC Committee(s) as appropriate for their decision(s),” the AFC said within the statement. In their first match of Group A, Mohun Bagan had played out a goalless draw against Tajikistan’s FC Ravshan.

It turned into learnt that 35 registered players, including seven foreigners, wrote to the club that they didn’t would desire to go to Iran at that point in time. “So we tagged their letters and wrote to the AFC, asking them to either reschedule the match or move the sport to a neutral venue,” a Mohun Bagan source had told PTI.

“Now we have determined to now now not commute to Iran keeping our players’ safety and security in mind, because or not it really is paramount. Now we have also written to the ministry of external affairs as their advisory states that you may perhaps be ready to go to Iran or Israel to your individual responsibility.”