Why are Persepolis supporters expressing apologies to FC Goa on social media?

Persepolis have been drawn alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the ACL 2023-24.

On August 24, FC Goa‘s latest Instagram post drew a remarkable response from Persepolis FC fans. Unlike previous posts with comment counts ranging from 20 to 36, the caption “we keep working” garnered an astonishing 2,500 comments in just under five hours. Notably, the majority of these comments were contributed by Persepolis FC supporters, highlighting a significant surge of engagement from their side.

Why have Persepolis FC fans suddenly inundated FC Goa’s social media posts with comments? Exploring some of these comments could shed light on the underlying reasons behind this surge.

“Take back your complaint, I promise I’ll eat Indian rice from now on❤️,” expressed one user. Similarly, another echoed, “Take back your complaint, I promise I’ll eat Indian rice from now on❤️.” Yet another plea emerged: “Please forgive the Persepolis team, we regret our actions🇮🇳🇮🇷❤️🇮🇳🇮🇷❤️🇮🇳🇮🇷❤️.”

What complain? What forgiveness are these fans talking about?

Deeds of the past

FC Goa encountered the Iranian powerhouse on two occasions during the group stage of the 2021-22 AFC Champions League, which transpired two years ago. Subsequently, there has been no further intersection between these two clubs.

Before Persepolis’ journey to India for their 2021 group fixtures, their social media platform posted content that faced backlash from Indians. The content referenced the historical backdrop of Iranian conquests in India and historical conflicts between the two nations, aimed at inspiring the team ahead of their match against FC Goa.

The post, which has now been removed from the clubs social media profile, reportedly offended the sentiments of the Indian population. Consequently, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) opted to officially file a complaint with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regarding the controversial content shared on social media.

AFC sanctioned the Tehran-based club by mandating that their upcoming home fixture in the competition be played behind closed doors, without any spectators in attendance. Notably, Persepolis didn’t partake in the 2022-23 edition of the continental club competition, which means their ban is still pending.

Consequences of the present

During the recent draw for the ACL 2023-24 group stages, Persepolis found themselves placed in Group E alongside Al-Nassr, the one with Cristano Ronaldo, Qatar’s Al-Duhail, and FC Istiklol from Tajikistan.

As they prepare for their opening match against the Saudi Pro League team in their homeland, an interesting phenomenon has emerged. Iranian fans have begun expressing apologies and appeals. This reaction stems from the ban, preventing the club’s supporters from witnessing their team face off against one of football’s legends, Cristiano Ronaldo. Consequently, they have turned to FC Goa’s social media posts, imploring them to reconsider their complaint.

It remains to be seen if AFC will overturn the punishment; however, Persepolis is prepared to exhaust all possibilities for the unique chance to witness the Portuguese icon’s on-field brilliance firsthand.

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