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Al-Monitor – A Saudi soccer team refused to play an Iranian squad on Monday, reportedly due to a statue on the sidelines depicting slain Iranian commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani, an indication of the continued complexities of Iran-Saudi relations.
What happened: The Saudi soccer team Al-Ittihad was in the Iranian city of Isfahan for a match against the Iranian club Sepahan at Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium. The game was part of the annual Asian Football Confederation’s Champions League. The second round of the league’s group stage began on Monday.
However, the confederation released a statement on Monday evening local time saying the match “has been canceled due to unanticipated and unforeseen circumstances.”
Saudi media outlets including Al-Arabiya and Arab News reported that Al-Ittihad left the stadium due to the presence of a statue depicting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Soleimani.
Images showing the bust of Soleimani on the sidelines circulated on social media.
Here’s the Kassem Sulemani’s statue that causes the mess: pic.twitter.com/flZnTQXIFk— Uri Levy (@Levyninho) October 2, 2023
Al-Ittihad did not immediately respond to Al-Monitor’s request for comment.
Iranian state news outlet Al-Alam reported that Sepahan said it would file a complaint against Al-Ittihad for refusing to play. The outlet also claimed that the statue has been at the field for more than four years.
Soleimani was seen as a “shadow commander” of the IRGC’s Quds force, known for his instrumental role in expanding Iran’s footprint across the region, through a web of armed proxies. He was assassinated in a drone strike by the United States in Baghdad in 2020.
Why it matters: The incident demonstrates the difficulties in bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. For years, the two were on opposite sides of regional conflicts, most notably the war in Yemen. Saudi Arabia and its Arab Gulf neighbors also oppose Iran’s nuclear program, among other issues.
However, relations between Riyadh and Tehran have slightly improved recently. In March, the two arch-rivals resumed diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by China. Last month, the two countries exchanged ambassadors.
At the same time, several issues remain between the two countries. Last week, Houthi forces attacked Bahraini soldiers patrolling Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen. Iran supports the Houthis in their conflict with the Saudi-backed government in Yemen.
In September, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Fox News that the kingdom would “have to” acquire nuclear weapons should Iran do so.
Relatedly, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan asked to switch the press conference location during his June visit to Iran due to the presence of a picture of Soleimani in the designated area, according to reports at the time.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are also mired in a dispute with Iran over the Durra gas field.
Know more: Al-Ittihad has signed some top European players this year. French stars Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante both joined the club over the summer, transferring from Real Madrid and Chelsea, respectively.
