The decision follows the club’s withdrawal from a September group-stage clash against Sepahan SC. According to the AFC, Mohun Bagan have been banned from the next Asian competition they qualify for, up to the 2027–28 season. The ruling was issued by the AFC’s disciplinary and ethics committee.
The club was also fined $50,000 and ordered to pay another $50,729 for losses and damages suffered by the AFC and Sepahan SC. In addition, Mohun Bagan will not receive any participation subsidy for the tournament.
Mohun Bagan had declined to travel to Iran, saying they did not receive proper security guarantees and medical insurance coverage. After the refusal, the AFC declared all of the club’s matches in the competition null and void.
The Indian champions later approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport, asking for the match to be shifted to a neutral venue. However, the court rejected their initial request.
A senior club official told Reuters, “The players decided they can’t take this risk, where lives and their families’ future are at stake. So we have to stand with them.”
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The official added that Mohun Bagan Super Giant has players from Australia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. These countries have advised their citizens against travelling to Iran due to safety concerns.
This is not the first such incident involving the club. Mohun Bagan also refused to travel to Iran in October 2024 for a match against Tractor SC, scheduled a day after Iran launched ballistic missiles toward Israel. The club was withdrawn from that tournament as well.
