By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – Palestinian football authorities are crying foul after being ordered by FIFA to play a crucial World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on neutral ground.
Last June, Palestine, who had originally been slated to play the first group game between the two sides at home, agreed to a request by the Saudis to switch the fixtures round due to “exceptional conditions” and have been eagerly anticipating hosting the return on October 13 after being narrowly beaten 3-2 in Jeddah.
But now FIFA have ordered the corresponding Group A fixture, which could have a massive bearing over Palestine’s World Cup hopes, to be played on neutral ground and say the decision is “final and binding” with no possibility of appeal, much to the fury of the Palestinians.
Correspondance seen by Insideworldfootball shows the request by the Saudis to move the game to neutral ground was lodged with FIFA on September 23. The request was accepted “due to the fact that the force majeure situation in Saudi Arabia was not overcome at the moment of the request.”
But the Palestinians are furious at what they perceive as a fait accompli – taken by the bureau of the World Cup organising committee – without any consultation.
The FIFA letter was signed by acting general secretary Markus Kattner but in a damning reply sent to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has cited resolving the conflict in Middle East football as one of his major priorities, PFA president Jibril Rajoub (pictured) said his entire federation, “having already accommodated the special situation in Saudi Arabia” by agreeing to reverse the two legs, was “shocked” by what it described as a FIFA ultimatum” .
Stressing his federation had even volunteered to fly the Saudi team from Amman to Ramallah, Rajoub said Palestine had “fought long and hard to earn the right to play at home”.
Such a right risked being lost if the decision stands, he added, calling for an urgent meeting to be held with representatives of both federations “to find common ground and revert a basically flawed decision.”
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