AFC Vice-President Mehdi Taj threatens serious ramifications for Mohun Bagan's refusal to play in Iran

Taj is the current President of the Iran Football Federation.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant have found themselves in troubled waters after they refused to travel to Tabriz for their AFC Champions League Two 2024-25 fixture against Tractor SC, citing concerns about their players’ safety in light of the prevailing volatile situation in Iran. After their 0-3 loss at the hands of Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), the Mariners made an about-turn back to Kolkata, instead of making preparations to travel to Iran.

Two days ago, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of public mourning for Hassan Nasrallah, after the Hezbollah chief died in an Israeli air strike in Lebanon the previous day.

As per the Times of India, one source stated, “Safety of players and the staff members traveling to Iran are paramount for the team management. Moreover, we also wonder whether it will be safe for the players to travel and play in a country which is in a state of mourning.”

The Indian football giants communicated their decision to the AFC via an email asking for clarity from the game’s continental governing body on the issue, before making their decision official. Bagan have also prepared a list of documents substantiating the grounds surrounding their refusal to travel to Iran and officially informed the authorities about the same.

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Mehdi Taj, President of the Iran Football Federation (IFF) and Vice-President of the AFC, has however responded sternly, officially listing out the sanctions that Mohun Bagan could face due to their decision.

Possible penalties for Mohun Bagan

According to the official communication on the IFF’s website, if Mohun Bagan don’t travel to Iran they will be:

• Fined an amount of $50,000
• Disqualified from the current edition of the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL 2) with all their previous results removed
• Likely banned from at least one edition of all Asian club-level competitions.

Earlier in April this year, Mohun Bagan had highlighted a travel advisory from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs which said, “Given the prevailing situation in the region, all Indians are advised not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice.”

Mohun Bagan have had a mixed bag of results in the ISL 2024-25 with a win, draw and loss apiece. They began their ACL 2 campaign with a 0-0 draw against Tajikistan side Ravshan Kulob, which means they currently sit in third place in the group standings.

However, it remains to be seen whether fate will be on their side after the most recent development, as their continental campaign hangs in the balance.

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