Al Ittihad's actions during their Asian Champions League match against Sepahan could lead to potential punishment, according to Tasmin Sport journalist Hatam Shiralizadeh.
The Saudi team, led by manager Nuno Espirito Santo and boasting star players like N'Golo Kante and Fabinho, made headlines by refusing to leave their dressing room.
Their protest was against a statue of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a U.S. drone strike in January 2020.
However, Hatam Shiralizadeh also showed a video of Al Ittihad training at Naghshe-Jahan stadium when the statue was there.
Shiralizadeh said: "It seems that Al Ittihad will be punished by the AFC because they trained without any problem in Naghshe-Jahan stadium last day while Ghasem Soleymani statue was there."
The Asian Football Confederation announced that the game was canceled because of unexpected and unforeseen events.The body said in a statement: "The AFC reiterates its commitment towards ensuring the safety and security of the players, match officials, spectators, and all stakeholders involved."
