Mohun Bagan Super Giants are seeking legal advice and are likely to file an appeal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after the continental body ruled that the Kolkata giants had withdrawn from the Asian Champions League 2 because they did not travel to Tabriz, Iran, for the match against Tractor FC due to security concerns.
As per a Mohun Bagan official, “This is a one-sided decision and we are consulting lawyers.” Given the sensitivity of the situation, the official requested anonymity. Mohun Bagan requested that the match be postponed or transferred to a neutral location after 35 players signed an undertaking refusing to go due to the rising unrest in West Asia.
On Monday, the AFC stated, “In accordance with Article 5.2 of AFC Champions League 2 2024/25 Competition Regulations, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirms that India’s Mohun Bagan Super Giant are considered to have withdrawn from the ACL 2 competition after the club failed to report to Tabriz … against Tractor FC on October 2, 2024.”
It further stated, “Consequently, all matches played by Mohun Bagan SG are cancelled and considered null and void in accordance with Article 5.6 of Competition Regulations. For the avoidance of doubt, no points and goals in the club’s matches shall be taken into consideration when determining the final rankings in Group A pursuant to Article 8.3 of the Competition Regulations. The matter will now be referred to the relevant AFC Committee(s) as appropriate for their decision(s).”
Mohun Bagan only played one match in the competition, a 0-0 home tie against Tajikistan’s FC Ravshan on September 18. Qatar’s Al-Wakrah rounds out the four-team group.
As per PTI, a Mohun Bagan official quoted, “We have decided to not travel to Iran keeping our players’ safety and security in mind, because that is paramount. We have also written to the ministry of external affairs as their advisory states that you can go to Iran or Israel on your own responsibility.”
After missing the match in Asia, Mohun Bagan defeated Mohammedan Sporting 3-0 in the Indian Super League on Saturday. Going into the international break, they are fourth in the standings with seven points from four games.