Iranian football has re-emerged onto the continental stage this week, with Esteghlal and Tractor SC beginning their AFC Champions League Elite campaigns following a turbulent period shaped by conflict and disruption at home. The restart comes just months after Iran's national team exited the World Cup at the group stage against the United States, a tournament played against the backdrop of hostilities between the two nations, including missile strikes on Tehran and other Iranian targets.
Domestically, the Persian Gulf League only resumed in mid-August, nearly six months after it was suspended in late February and ultimately abandoned altogether due to the ongoing war. That suspension has left Iranian football grappling with an unresolved and contentious issue: who should be recognized as champions of the aborted season.
Esteghlal were sitting atop the table when play halted, having completed 22 of 30 fixtures and holding a two-point advantage over Tractor. With no prospect of finishing the season, the Tehran club and its supporters believe they deserve to be crowned champions for what would be an 11th league title. "Esteghlal should be declared the champions of the previous season," said head coach Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh, arguing that a team's position at the top of the standings is a fair way to judge success at any stage of a competition. However, resistance from other clubs — notably industry-backed sides Sepahan FC and Foolad, both of which have felt the economic strain of the war — means a resolution is still pending.
Bakhtiarizadeh reflected on the broader toll the conflict took on the sport, noting that the extended shutdown deprived players of training and competition while leaving fans without their usual football-related distractions and rivalries to enjoy. He described the suspension as damaging to the game's momentum and its passionate following.
Despite the turmoil, the domestic league has resumed with a notable fan presence, contrary to earlier expectations of matches being played without spectators. The Tehran derby between Persepolis and Esteghlal — often cited as one of the most significant fixtures in Asian football — drew a crowd of 50,000, though it had to be staged in Isfahan rather than Tehran, since the capital's Azadi Stadium remains closed for repairs unrelated to war damage, despite parts of the surrounding sports complex having been struck.
On the continental front, Esteghlal opened their Champions League Elite campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Qatar's Al-Sadd, a result made more remarkable by the fact that the match was played in Basra, Iraq, due to Iranian clubs' continued inability to host games on home soil. Around 8,000 spectators, including Iranian supporters from the country's south, attended the match in the Basra International Stadium. Bakhtiarizadeh acknowledged the ongoing challenge of lost home advantage but expressed appreciation for the support shown in Basra.
Tractor's start proved less fruitful, falling 1-0 away to Shabab Al-Ahli in Dubai in front of a sparse crowd of 1,300, a reflection of strained relations between Iran and the UAE. Given the competition's expanded league-style format modeled on Europe's Champions League, both Iranian sides still have opportunities to recover.
Both clubs at least avoided facing Saudi Arabian opposition, whose financial dominance in Asian football has become increasingly stark. Saudi and Japanese clubs each have five representatives in this year's 32-team competition, compared to Iran's two, with sanctions and economic constraints continuing to limit Iranian clubs' spending power. Bakhtiarizadeh, a former Iran international, acknowledged the financial gap but remained optimistic that determination and teamwork could still allow Esteghlal, two-time Asian champions, to compete despite entering the tournament without any summer signings.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.