The restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia has led to global soccer stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nasr) and Neymar (Al-Hilal), who have moved to Saudi professional soccer clubs, playing in Tehran.The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Thursday (local time) that the Asian Champions League matches between Saudi and Iranian professional soccer clubs will be played on a “home and away” basis for the first time in seven years since 2016.Iran and Saudi Arabia have been at odds since 2016, when Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shiite cleric over Iran’s objections.As a result, Champions League matches between the two countries’ professional soccer clubs have been played in neutral territory for the past seven years.But when the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in March through Chinese mediation, Saudi and Iranian clubs were allowed to play visits to each other’s countries.As a result, Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nasr, will play Iran’s Persepolis at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on Sept. 19, while Neymar, who contracts with Saudi Al-Hilal, will travel to Tehran to play Iranian professional soccer Nassaji Mazandaran on Sept. 3.Saudi Al Ittihad, which has Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, will also visit Iran next month to play Iranian 바카라사이트 club Sepahan.
