Iran club’s long wait for ACL glory goes on
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Persepolis will have waited 11 weeks for their shot at glory by the time the Asian Champions League final kicks off but assistant coach Karim Bagheri said it will be worth it if they can bring the continental prize back to Iran. The Iranian champions booked their place in the final in October but the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic means they are still a long way from knowing who their opponents will be at Doha’s Al Janoub Stadium on December 19.
While East Asia’s top clubs have been sharpening their competitive edges against each other in Qatar to decide who takes the other spot in the final, Persepolis have been restricted to the early rounds of their domestic title defence. Iranian football’s problems are not limited to those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, and Bagheri said Persepolis winning the Champions League would have a lasting impact on the future of the game in Iran.
“Winning the Asian Champions League would definitely have very positive outcomes for us,” said Bagheri, who represented his country at the 1998 World Cup finals. “Whether financially or, looking at it from a bigger perspective, it could persuade young talent into taking up football and keep trying to become professionals. This would encourage them to keep trying to attain the success they’re dreaming of. So, fingers crossed that football will further flourish across Iran, both at club and national level, enabling us to have a big pool of trained players who can build the future of Team Melli (national team).”
The Tehran-based club have won the Persian Gulf Pro League title for the last four years and Bagheri said continuing that domestic success over the next few weeks would be vital to their chances of winning Asia’s elite club competition.
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