The owner of Tractor Club announced the decision not to play the match against Shabab Al-Ahli on Saudi soil.

According to Tractor Club's official media, Mohammad Reza Zonouzi Motlaq stated: Given that we were previously deprived of a home match due to what was called 'insecurity in Iran,' this time Tractor Club has decided not to show up for the match against Shabab Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. This decision was made earlier, and I insist on it.

Zonouzi continued: Whenever an incident occurs in the region, Iranian clubs have immediately suffered from the AFC's decisions. Now, in my opinion, given the ongoing war in the region and the insecurity of Saudi Arabia, our team should not show up for the Shabab Al-Ahli match in Saudi Arabia. My pride simply does not allow such a thing to happen, because in similar situations, decisions have always gone against us.

He emphasized: If the AFC does not arrange a new setup for holding the matches, Tractor will take its complaint to FIFA.

The owner of Tractor Club said: Of course, my impression is that these competitions will not be held on the currently announced dates, and the matches will be postponed. As the Al Sharq Al Awsat newspaper has also published such news. However, if they insist on holding the matches in Saudi Arabia, our position is clear, and we will pursue this decision until the final outcome.

He noted: This clear stance of Tractor Club, beyond a sporting protest, is a reaction to the double standards that have plagued Iranian football at the continental level for years. Emphasizing the preservation of national dignity and pride, along with legal pursuit of demands in international bodies such as FIFA, shows that Tractor, at this critical juncture, is not willing to accept imposed decisions influenced by sponsors' influence, and will go to the highest legal levels to restore its rights and those of its fans.

Zonouzi concluded his remarks by saying: I think our team has a good chance to advance to the next round, and our worthy players, considering the next draw, are also thinking about reaching the final four teams. But as I said, this issue must be resolved first, and the hosting at this stage must be reconsidered, especially since the travel of East Asian teams and competition organizers to Saudi Arabia is not an easy task either, and given the continuation of the current situation, there should be doubt about holding these matches in Saudi Arabia. Even though Saudi Arabia is the main sponsor of the Asian Football Confederation, and the scheduling of matches has been such that they would become champions of the Elite League for the second consecutive year.

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Zonouzi: Pride prevents us from playing in Saudi Arabia.

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