Iranian club Sepahan penalized over canceled ACL match after Saudi team’s walkout

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian media reports say Iranian soccer team Sepahan has been penalized with a 3-0 loss and a fine over a canceled Asian Champions League match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad. The match was called off last month when the Saudi team walked out at the last minute, apparently over the presence of a statue of a slain Iranian general on the sidelines. Iran’s foreign ministry had earlier said that an agreement had been reached to replay the match. But Iranian media reported that the Asian Football Confederation ruled that Al Ittihad should be awarded a 3-0 win and that Sepahan should pay a fine of $200,000.