Ali Tajernia, the acting CEO of Esteghlal, has made a controversial proposal stating that instead of abandoning the Cup this season, it would be better to continue the unfinished competitions from last season. This proposal comes at a time when the congestion of the Iranian football calendar has raised ambiguities regarding the holding of these competitions.
Competition Schedule Congestion and Upcoming Challenges
This season of Iranian football faces multiple challenges. Ali Tajernia commented on this issue, saying: "Given the density of matches and upcoming schedules, including national and Asian competitions, fully holding the Cup this season will face difficulties. From our perspective, it is better to hold the Cup alongside the league, but if it is not possible to hold the complete competitions, we have proposed that the competitions from last season, which had eight teams remaining, continue."
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Few Remaining Matches
Tajernia pointed out the few remaining matches needed to determine the champion of last season's Cup, explaining: "To determine the champion among the eight teams, only seven matches are needed in total, and these competitions can be completed in a condensed timeframe of about nine days. I don't think implementing such a schedule would be difficult, and thus the fate of last season's Cup will also be determined on the field."
However, implementing such a proposal is not easily feasible and will certainly face opposition from contenders. Last season, Persepolis was eliminated in the Round of 16 against Tractor, Sepahan lost to Khaybar in the Round of 8, and Tractor was declared the loser against Shams Azar due to a disciplinary ruling.
This proposal by Tajernia could lead to significant changes in the process of holding the Cup and raise questions about the future of these competitions. Will other clubs like Persepolis and Sepahan, which have withdrawn from the competitions for various reasons, have the opportunity to participate again? These questions remain unanswered, and it seems that Iranian football is waiting for crucial decisions.
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