In another move to "warm up relations", Iran and Saudi Arabia lift the ban on football.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to lift the ban on organizing matches between football clubs in the two countries, Iran Football Federation Vice President Mansour Qanbarzadeh said on September 1.

Iran football team at the 2022 World Cup. (Source: Reuters)

Qanbarzadeh made the remarks in a live interview broadcast on Iranian state television, commenting on the latest negotiations between the Iranian football federation and Saudi Arabia.

Qanbarzadeh stressed that Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Yasser Al Misehal held a meeting attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Australia late last month and agreed to sign an MoU soon to resolve the issue of hosting the matches.

"We are about to sign an MoU, under which the ban on hosting matches between Iranian and Saudi Arabian football teams in the two countries will be lifted. Whenever the two countries, which have differences, reach an agreement, other issues will be resolved," he said.

The Iranian Football Federation official added that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also discussed the issue, expressing hope that Saudi Arabian teams will face their Iranian counterparts in the current AFC Champions League (AFC) season in Iran.

Following Saudi Arabia's move to cut diplomatic ties with Iran in early 2016, in response to attacks on its diplomatic mission in Tehran, sparked by the execution of a Shiite cleric by the Riyad government, all matches between football clubs from the two countries have been held in neutral countries.

In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a groundbreaking agreement in Beijing to restore diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and representative offices. On April 6, the two countries officially announced the resumption of diplomatic relations, effective immediately.

This year's Asian Club Championship will begin on September 19.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/them-dong-thai-suoi-am-quan-he-iran-saudi-arabia-do-bo-lenh-cam-lien-quan-den-bong-da-240557.html