Palestinian soccer scores goal in venue dispute
Following popular anger from Palestinian fans, a decision to relocate a soccer match between the Palestinian and Saudi teams outside of Palestine has been revoked.
RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian soccer may have won its biggest victory over its Saudi rival before the teams even enter the pitch.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has decided that the two national teams may play the second of two matches in the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 Asian Cup qualifications in Palestine after all, revoking an earlier decision to find a less controversial alternative. The reversal came after an Oct. 6 meeting in Zurich between FIFA President Sepp Blatter and the heads of the Palestinian and Saudi Arabian football associations, Jibril Rajoub and Ahmed Eid al-Harbi.
The spokesman for the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), Tayseer Nasrallah, told Al-Monitor, “A frank meeting was held in the presence of Joseph Blatter, and the participants agreed on the cancellation of the previous regulatory committee's decision, which consists of relocating the match between the Palestinian and Saudi national teams to neutral ground. They agreed to consider the decision void and illegal.”
Nasrallah added, “It was decided to delay the date of the second game that was scheduled for Sept. 13 until further notice. The decision of the organizational committee regarding the venue of the game will be respected.” He noted that the president of the PFA insisted on Palestine’s right to play the game on its home turf, and that this claim was backed by FIFA.
