The 2008 AFC Champions League qualifiers were recently targeted by a former coach of the club who aimed to create disorder in the club administration, Kadhem said.

Kadhem told PA Sport: "What happened was an unpleasant incident which was aimed at the club administration.

"A former coach at the club, who had some issues with the club, wanted to return to the team. He brought two cakes to the club administration and he wanted to poison the whole administration so that the Youth and Sports ministry would dissolve the board of directors.

"However, the general secretary of the club and another member of the board took the cakes to their families as the administration members were not available at that time.

"The families of the general secretary and the administration member ate the whole cakes. Two children of the board member died while the general secretary and his daughter are now in coma."

Kadhem denied that the club's players were victims of the incident.

"There is no doubt that this incident affected the club but we will carry on with a stronger mentality and we would like to thank the minister of defence, the Olympic committee president and the Army Air Force leader for their support.

"Despite what happened, Al Quwa Al Jawiya will continue to be one of the big clubs in Iraqi football."

Al Quwa Al Jawiya are the Iraqi Air Force team and the oldest side in the country. They have been drawn in Group B of the 2008 AFC Champions League with UAE champions Al Wasl, Kuwait champions Al Kuwait and Iran champions Saipa.