Saudi Arabia’s league schedule has been reshaped after a tense week in Riyadh, with three top-flight fixtures postponed as missile attacks on the kingdom intensified.
The Saudi Pro League said on Tuesday evening that the changes to matchday nine had been made for logistical reasons. Its statement did not refer to the recent Houthi attacks from Yemen, although Riyadh has been among the locations targeted.
Three league games moved
Al-Hilal’s home meeting with Al-Riyadh and Al-Ittihad’s match against Al-Shabab have both been rescheduled for 19 December.
Al-Ahli’s fixture with Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo’s club, has been pushed much further back and will now be played on 6 March.
All other games from the round are expected to go ahead at their previously confirmed times, the league said.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr match delayed
The announcement followed disruption to Al-Nassr’s Asian Champions League tie against Uzbek side Neftchi Fergana on Monday night. That match began an hour late after a ballistic missile was intercepted on its way towards the Saudi capital.
Attacks on Saudi territory have reached an exceptional level in recent days. A strike on Riyadh airport on Saturday killed 13 people and left hundreds injured, making it the deadliest attack inside the kingdom for more than a decade.
