Iranian side awarded a 3-0 loss after players held up at team hotel by own fans

In a bizarre turn of events, Iranian giants Persepolis FC were awarded a 3-0 win over Sepahan SC after their opponents turned up late for a Persian Gulf Pro League tie. 

The match in question was supposed to take place at the Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium, the home ground of Sepahan, in Isfahan on February 23 with league leaders Persepolis taking on their closest competitors Sepahan.

It has been reported that the Sepahan team arrived at the stadium only one hour after the scheduled kick-off time and hence, the match did not take place as intended.

According to Tehran Times, Sepahan SC had informed the officials that they had indeed intended to play the fixture, “but the fans did not let them to leave the team hotel in time.”

However, a disciplinary committee of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) ruled after an investigation that there were “no obstacles” that had help up the Sepahan team bus at their hotel!

And as a result, the football governing body has now awarded a 3-0 win to Persepolis opening up a 10-point gap between the leaders and second-placed Sepahan as the Tehran-based side inch closer to a fourth successive domestic league title.

It is being reported that Sepahan were not in favour of playing their home tie without their supporters after the FFIRI had decided to hold the game behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.