ACL Elite:
Tractor on the verge of withdrawal amid security concerns
Persian Gulf Pro League club Tractor is on the verge of withdrawing from the AFC Champions League Elite after refusing to visit Saudi Arabia for the knockout phase of the competition.
The Iranian top-flight champion is scheduled to take on Emirati club Shabab Al Ahli in Jeddah in a single-legged last-16 tie of the continent's elite clubs tournament.
The Asian Football Confederation had to reschedule the knockout round in the West zone, staging all remaining fixtures in Saudi Arabia, following the breakout of a military conflict between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli coalition on February 28.
Iranian forces have been attacking U.S. bases in the Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia.
Last week, Iran's Sports Ministry prohibited the country's national and club teams from visiting "hostile countries, where the security of Iranian athletes cannot be guaranteed," until further notice.
Tractor has called on the Asian football governing body to change the host city of the last-16 game, citing "the expansion of the war to Saudi Arabia and the refusal of some foreign players to travel to the country."
The AFC, however, has reportedly told the club that it understands the situation of Tractor as a force majeure, but there is no possibility of changing the host country with the last-16 round less than 10 days away. The AFC insists that if the Iranian team does not show up for the game against Shabab Al Ahli, the case will be referred to the competition's organizing committee, and the final decision will be made based on the regulations of this committee.
With Tractor's refusal to fly to Jeddah looking certain, the Iranian club could face a potential fine and a two-year ban from all continental competitions.
Tractor won five and lost one in eight games in the West zone's league stage, finishing third in the 12-team table with 17 points, while the Emirati champion stood sixth with 11 points. The two sides met on the opening day of the competition, playing to a 1-1 draw in Dubai last September.