The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), on Wednesday, imposed a sanction on Indian football club Mohun Bagan Super Giant, barring the ISL champions from competing in the next continental tournament they qualify for, with the ban staying in effect until the 2027-28 season.

AFC’s ban, which was accompanied by heavy fines and clawbacks, stems from Mohun Bagan’s refusal to travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran for an AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) 2025-26 group-stage match against Sepahan SC in September.

The decision was taken at the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee meeting held on December 17.

In its ruling (decision No. VVC 20251217DC21), the committee found Mohun Bagan guilty of breaching Article 5 (Withdrawal from the Competition) of the ACL Two Competition Regulations after failing to fulfil a fixture once the group stage had already commenced.

As part of the sanctions, Mohun Bagan have been disqualified from participating in the next AFC club football competition for which they would otherwise qualify, with the ban remaining in force up to and including the 2027-28 season.

The club has also been fined US $50000 for withdrawing from the group stage and ordered to pay $50729 as compensation to Sepahan SC and the AFC for damages and losses. In addition, the Mariners must return the $300000 participation fee if it has already been disbursed.

The committee further ruled that Mohun Bagan would forfeit all subsidies linked to their participation in the 2025-26 ACL Two season, including participation fees, performance bonuses and travel subsidies. Any amount already paid by the AFC must be repaid within 30 days of the decision being communicated.

Cumulatively, the financial hit to the Kolkata-based club exceeds $400000 or approximately ₹3.6 crore.

Mohun Bagan had originally cited unavailability of visas for several of their players and safety concerns for not travelling to Iran for the Sepahan match.

The Mariners had sought a change of venue and later approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the AFC deemed the action as a withdrawal.

Notably, this was the second consecutive season in which Mohun Bagan declined to travel to Iran for an ACL Two fixture, having previously refused an away match against Tractor SC, which resulted in a disqualification but not any sanctions at the time.