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Tonight, Al Nassr will be playing in the AFC Champions League in Iran against Persepolis. As excitement reaches its zenith for the impending clash, a significant development has cast a shadow of disappointment on fans. Unfortunately, they won’t have the opportunity to witness Cristiano Ronaldo and other football luminaries in action. The pressing question on everyone’s mind is, ‘why is this happening’?

Problems seem to have taken a toll since Al Nassr arrived in Iran. Be it getting restricted from internet services or receiving terrible news regarding tonight’s suboptimal battlefield and now Persepolis is facing a stadium ban!

Why fans won’t be able to watch Al Nassr vs. Persepolis in the stadium?

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A mistake from the past is now costing Persepolis at present. Back in 2021, Persepolis had two encounters with the Indian club FC Goa in the AFC Champions League. Notably, during their visit to India, they shared content on their social media platform that reportedly offended the sentiments of the Indian audience. Although the post was subsequently deleted, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) chose to officially submit a complaint to the AFC regarding the contentious content.

Thus, in the pursuit of justice, the AFC penalized the Tehran-based club by ordering that their upcoming home fixture in the competition must be played in an empty stadium, devoid of any spectators. This penalty should have been served by Persepolis two years ago. However, due to the club’s absence from the 2022-23 edition of the competition, their ban remains pending.

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Hence, they would now need to fulfill their punishment during tonight’s fixture against Al Nassr. This is why fans won’t be able to watch Al Nassr vs. Persepolis in the Azadi Stadium tonight. Certainly, ardent fans would also miss star player Cristiano Ronaldo in action. Indeed, it is a huge blow for all the supporters, who were looking forward to the much-anticipated tie. Interestingly, this ban has led to an interesting development, forcing Persepolis fans to take the high road.

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The home club fans are desperate to see Cristiano Ronaldo!

As Persepolis gear up for their inaugural match against the Saudi Pro League side on their home turf, an intriguing phenomenon has surfaced. Following the news of the ban, Iranian fans have started to express their regrets and appeals. Consequently, they have even turned to FC Goa’s social media posts, urging them to reconsider their complaint.

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The outcome regarding whether the AFC will reverse the penalty remains uncertain. Nevertheless, Persepolis is ready to explore every conceivable avenue for the unique opportunity to witness the Portuguese soccer icon’s on-field brilliance in person.

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Written by

Abhishek Mishra

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Abhishek Mishra is a soccer writer at EssentiallySports. Abhishek's love for soccer began during his childhood days when he spent most of his time playing and watching the sport. His early exposure to soccer earned him many accolades at district and zonal levels, making him a true sports enthusiast.
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Edited by

Daniel D'Cruz