Iranian clubs in the cold as FA no longer meet AFC licensing criteria

August 25 - Iranian clubs will continue to be denied access to the AFC Champions League until the Iranian FA amends its club licensing criteria to comply with the rules of the AFC Champions League. the regional confederation.

Three top Iranian teams have been banned from participating in the current AFC Champions League due to non-compliance with AFC club licensing.

The decision barred 2020 finalist Persepolis, two-time Asian champion Esteghlal and Gol Gohar Sirjan from entering the 2022 contest.

Exact reasons for non-compliance with licensing regulations were not detailed, but included problems with submitting the required documents on time and in the correct form.

It was common knowledge that Esteghlal and Persepolis, the two biggest and most popular clubs in Iran, were at risk of being disqualified for weeks from the Champions League, but local officials were still unsure. unable to obtain their club's license, and they still do not meet the AFC's criteria.

An AFC statement says its Club Licensing Task Force has “agreed to maintain the suspension of the club licensing administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation until that all defects have been resolved and corrected to the satisfaction of the AFC General Secretariat".< /p>

The new AFC Club Licensing Rules came into force on 29 July 2022 and incorporated several important updates applicable when licensing clubs participating in AFC interclub competitions AFC.

Underlining the importance of the new licensing criteria, Task Force Chairman Hamad Mohamed Aljneibi said: “I would like to commend our collective efforts to increase professionalism in Asian club football despite the challenges. club licensing was introduced to Asia over a decade ago and continues to play a vital role in raising the standards of our sport on the continent.

"The AFC member associations have received strong support throughout this period of change and I am certain that these latest developments will steer Asian football in the right direction and reaffirm the AFC's position as a as a model confederation."

Although Iran still has work to do before its teams can be readmitted to AFC competition, the task force has decided to lift the suspension imposed on the club licensing administration of the AFC. Tajikistan Football Federation after correcting most of the "flaws" in their own rules.

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