On Tuesday, September 19th (01:00 AM on September 20th in Vietnam time), Al Nassr will travel to face Persepolis in the opening match of Group E in the AFC Champions League. Led by coach Luis Castro, Al Nassr will go up against the reigning champions of the Iranian Pro League.
What’s intriguing about this encounter is that the match will be held in Tehran, the capital of Iran, rather than on neutral ground, as has been the case recently due to tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
What led to this change of venue? It’s the presence of football’s big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema.
As a result, both nations reached two agreements. The first was to play at corresponding locations. The second agreement saw Iran implement a more flexible communication and mobile phone policy.
Players were provided with special SIM cards in their mobile phones, allowing them to access content from their home countries. Simply put, it’s a marketing strategy. It’s worth noting that Iran has strict policies regarding internet and social media access.
In this season’s AFC Champions League, Saudi Arabian football is represented by four clubs. Al Nassr is placed in Group E alongside Persepolis (Iran), Al Duhail (Qatar), and FC Istiklol (Tajikistan). Neymar’s Al Hilal is grouped with Nassaji (Iran), Mumbai City (India), and Navbahor (Uzbekistan) in Group D. Al-Ittihad, the reigning domestic league champions with Karim Benzema in their ranks, is in Group C along with Sepahan (Iran), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Iraq), and OKMK FK (Uzbekistan).
The fourth team, Al Feiha, champions of the Saudi King’s Cup, finds itself in Group A with Pakhtakor Tashkent (Uzbekistan), FC Ahal (Turkmenistan), and Al Ain (United Arab Emirates).
Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence in Iran for this high-stakes encounter highlights the unique privileges and accommodations that international football stars receive, bringing a blend of sport and diplomacy to the AFC Champions League.
