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AFC -
A two-member inspection team of the AFC Professional League Ad-hoc Committee
visited Iran recently to assess the status of the game in the
football-loving country.
Tokuaki Suzuki, who is the deputy chairman of the committee, was happy with
the present setup.
"We found Iran in the top tier of football in Asia. The Iran Pro League is
based on sound regulations and the matches are well organised. The technical
standards are also high," said Suzuki.
The large attendances infused Suzuki with confidence. "Apart from the huge
media coverage, popular clubs like Persepolis and Esteghlal can attract a
large number of spectators for their home games, reaching upto 90,000. The
average attendance is 10,000," noted Suzuki.
However, a survey showed that all the Iran Pro League clubs suffered from a
loss of revenue out of television rights and merchandising. "Most of the
clubs have relatively high incomes and are run profitably but parts of the
club budget are state-funded. They have limited revenue from television
rights."
"The Iran Football Federation, however, has taken an initiative to resolve
the issue. We expect to see good perspective for the future."
The government has been providing support to the clubs and also has grand
plans to reconstruct the facilities which could prove to be a boon for
Iranian football.
Twenty-one Asian countries are on the schedule, ending with India in
November. The inspection team has already visited Hong Kong, UAE, Oman,
Bahrain, China, Korea Republic, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam,
Australia and Uzbekistan.
Only the Member Association of those countries, which can meet the minimum
new criteria, will be allowed to participate in the AFC Champions League
from 2009 onwards.
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