Iranian football has resumed after a long break caused by regional tensions, with clubs like Esteghlal and Tractor SC starting their campaigns in the AFC Champions League Elite this week. The Persian Gulf League, which was postponed in February and later abandoned, has now begun in mid-August. Esteghlal's head coach, Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh, said the months without competition hurt players, teams, and fans, weakening the sport and its supporters. Esteghlal were leading the league when it was halted, having played 22 of 30 games and holding a two-point lead over Tractor SC. The club is pushing for recognition as the previous season's champions, but other clubs, especially those owned by industrial companies, are against this decision. The new season has seen fans return to stadiums, despite initial fears of empty matches. A notable event was the Tehran derby between Persepolis and Esteghlal, held in Isfahan with 50,000 fans in attendance. The usual venue, Azadi Stadium in Tehran, is closed for repairs. The cost of maintaining stadiums has become a topic of discussion, showing the ongoing difficulties in Iranian football. Esteghlal has started their AFC Champions League Elite campaign strongly, beating Al-Sadd 3-0 in Basra, Iraq. The match was held in Basra because of the unavailability of home venues in Iran. The club's coach mentioned the challenges of not having a home advantage, but he was pleased with the support from fans in southern Iran. Tractor SC faced a smaller crowd in Dubai, where they lost 1-0 to Shabab Al-Ahli. The AFC has used a group stage format similar to UEFA, giving teams time to recover from poor starts. Iranian clubs have historically had a hard time competing with Saudi Arabian teams due to economic sanctions and limited financial resources. While Saudi clubs have made big investments, such as Al-Hilal spending over $200 million in the summer transfer market, Iranian clubs have only two representatives in the 32-team tournament compared to five each from Saudi Arabia and Japan. Despite these challenges, Bakhtiarizadeh remains hopeful about Esteghlal's chances, stressing the importance of effort, determination, and teamwork in overcoming financial disadvantages.