There have in the past been casual mentions in Asian football of how Russia would be welcome in the confederation to really give the continent a sense of geographical completeness. This addition would mean a different conversation now but in the meantime if Moscow wants to see what football life can be like under sanctions then a visit to famous Asian cities such as Tehran, Pyongyang and Yangon would be timely.
The Iranian Football Federation has been wrestling with US-imposed restrictions for years, even if they are not as strict as the measures taken against Russia. Sanctions made headlines before the 2018 World Cup when Nike found itself unable to supply the team with boots, but there are more serious consequences. Swift, the financial system that enables money to move smoothly between international accounts, has been denied to Russian banks. Iran have had problems receiving their payments from Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation.
