Hundreds of football fans were waiting in Tehran for the Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, who traveled there with his Saudi club Al Nasr for the Asian Champions League match.
Followers of the 38-year-old gathered outside the hotel to take advantage of the rare opportunity to see the legendary actor up close. Because of Iran’s turbulent diplomatic relations with the rest of the world, top football clubs and their stars rarely visit the country. The fans, waving Ronaldo’s jerseys, also celebrated the end of the seven-year ban on visiting Saudi clubs in Iran.
Al Nasr is the first club from Saudi Arabia to come to Iran after 2016. At that time, one of the Iranian militant groups attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
Since then, teams from that country have refused to travel to Iran, fearing for their safety. After Iran and Saudi Arabia re-established diplomatic relations, the Asian Football Confederation also allowed clubs to play in both countries. Before that, the matches took place on neutral greens.
Asian Champions League first round match between Iran Persepolis and Al Nasrom will take place behind closed doors of the stadium, so spectators will not be able to be present. This is also a result of the Asian Football Confederation’s 2020 punishment, when an Iranian club insulted one of the Indian teams via social media.
Source: Rtvslo
