Following an agreement between the football federations of the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia, which has been communicated to the Asian football governing body, all national and club matches between the two countries will be played at home-and-away fixtures, the AFC said on Monday.
Previously, all matches between Iranian and Saudi national and club teams were held on neutral grounds.
The AFC said that the new development shows the two football federations are committed to establishing closer relations between the football communities of Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The agreement also allows Iranian and Saudi clubs to host matches in their home stadiums and visit rival clubs.
The home-and-away matches for the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League involving Iranian and Saudi Arabian teams will start on September 19. The relevant AFC committees will simultaneously issue the necessary licenses.
IRNA had earlier reported on the new agreement, which was reached last month during a meeting in Sydney, Australia, between Mehdi Taj, the president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and his Saudi counterpart, Yasser Al Misehal.
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