Perspolis is one of four Iranian teams who have decided against boycotting the Asian Champions LeagueFour Iranian clubs have decided against boycotting the Asian Champions League after their games were moved out of the country for security reasons. The General Managers of Perspolis, Sepahan, Shahr Khodro and Esteghlal backed down after meeting the General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation on Thursday. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) initially voted to stage matches involving Iranian teams on neutral territory amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States. But in Iran's parliament, MPs rejected the decision, prompting the clubs to threaten a boycott. United Arab Emirates club Sharjah withdrew from the Asian Champions League in 2009 and were banned from the next season's tournament and fined £240,000 plus compensation for the other teams in their group.

Source: BBC January 23, 2020 13:18 UTC