The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has handed down a strict punishment to Indian football giants Mohun Bagan, barring the club from all AFC competitions until the end of the 2027–28 season. Along with the ban, the Kolkata-based side has also been fined $1,729.
AFC Takes Firm Action Against Mohun Bagan
The disciplinary action stems from Mohun Bagan’s decision not to travel to Iran last September for an AFC Champions League fixture against Sepahan. Citing serious security concerns for players and staff, the club requested that the match be shifted to a neutral venue. However, the AFC did not approve the request.
Initially, the continental body had penalized Mohun Bagan by deducting all the points they earned in the ongoing AFC Champions League campaign. At the time, it was made clear that further sanctions were under consideration.
Two-Season Ban Despite Domestic Success
That warning has now turned into a heavy blow. The AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has imposed a two-season suspension from continental competitions, effectively ruling Mohun Bagan out of the AFC Champions League until the 2027–28 season.
“The committee found the club in breach of competition regulations after failing to fulfill its fixture,” the AFC said in its ruling.
The decision means that Mohun Bagan will miss out on AFC tournaments even if they continue to perform strongly at home, including their recent success as Indian Super League (ISL) champions.
Several foreign players, including Jason Cummings and Jamie McLaren, had earlier expressed reservations about traveling to Iran, which influenced the club’s stance. Despite those concerns, the AFC maintained that competition rules must be upheld.
A club official had earlier stated,
“𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒅.”
The ban marks a significant setback for one of India’s most historic and popular football clubs, with major implications for their continental ambitions in the coming years.
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