June 12 – Saudi Arabia’s domestic topflight will resume on August 4 behind closed doors after it was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision was made following a coordination committee responsible for monitoring the coronavirus, the Saudi Ministry of Sport said. The same ministry emphasised that all clubs will have to strictly comply with the medical protocol. Clubs will be allowed to return to practice from June 21.
The Saudi Professional League was suspended on March 14, with Al Hilal holding a six-point lead over champions Nassr. At the bottom of the table, Al Fateh, Damac and Al Adalah are battling to avoid relegation.
The announcement sparked excitement among local fans with the hashtags ‘The return of the Saudi League’ swiftly becoming the top trend on Saudi twitter, but the return of the league will not be without problems as foreign players were allowed to return home in April.
The matches will be staged without fans and five substitutions will be allowed in line with temporary FIFA regulations.
Saudi Arabia has 116,021 confirmed coronavirus cases with 857 people having passed away in the Arab kingdom, according to the latest data of the Johns Hopkins University.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1731701514labto1731701514ofdlr1731701514owedi1731701514sni@o1731701514fni1731701514
