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Iranian clubs to play matches against Qatar and UAE teams at neutral venues

Iranian clubs to play matches against Qatar, UAE at neutral venues

The draw for the group stage of the Asian Elite Champions League has been made. According to it, Iranian clubs Estiklol and Tractor will play their home matches against teams from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates at neutral venues.

Despite security and conflicts in the region, Tehran's Estiklol and Tabriz's Tractor have been drawn in the same group as UAE's Al-Ain, Al-Wasl and Shabab Al-Ahli, and Qatar's Al-Gharafa, Al-Sadd and Al-Shamal.

The Iranian domestic championship was suspended in February due to the military situation in the region. The competition resumed last weekend, but some matches are being played behind closed doors or with limited numbers of fans.

The new season of the Asian Elite Champions League will start on September 14. The competition is divided into Western and Eastern regional zones, each consisting of 16 teams, and the teams will play on a home-and-away basis. The top 8 teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. Starting from the quarter-finals, all decisive matches will be held in Saudi Arabia. The final match of the competition is scheduled for May 1.

For information, after the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, the official Tehran announced that it had opened fire on targets in Qatar and the UAE for allowing strikes from its bases, calling it revenge. Neighboring countries have asked Tehran to stop the attacks.

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