There seems to be a sporting side effect to the growing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian soccer teams are refusing to travel to Iran to participate in a series of games that are scheduled for them as part of the Asian Champions league.
A number of Saudi Arabian soccer teams have issued statements that they do not wish their players to travel to Iran for the fear that they may be attacked and killed. They have also issued requests that the games scheduled to take place in Iran be moved to a third party neutral location.
According to a report that was issued by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), representatives from Saudi Arabian teams said that Saudi players have already suffered mistreatment when attending games in Iran. With the rising tensions between the two countries, the worry now is that these threats will escalate as well.
According to the report, four Saudi teams, Al-Nassar, Al-Elohi, Al-Hilal and Al-Athad, representing Saudi Arabia in the Asian Champions league in 2016, are all scheduled to play games in Iran beginning in February.
Al-Hilal former President, Saudi Prince Abed Al-Rahman Bin Mussad, wrote on his twitter feed, “We demand that the games against Iranian teams be moved to a neutral country. We do not want to go to them, so that they won’t come to us.” The prince called upon the teams from other countries in the Persian Gulf to show their solidarity with the Saudi teams and also demand that the games be moved.
The Vice President of the Saudi Arabian Soccer Union, Muhamad Al-Neusar also tweeted a post in which he claimed that Iran would be unable to protect Saudi players. “We have a crisis between Saudi Arabia and Iran. As Iran is unable to protect its Embassies, how are they expected to protect stadiums. We demand that the teams play in a neutral country.”
The Saudi teams also suggested a reshuffling of the league competitions to create a schedule that would have the Saudi and Iranian teams avoid playing against one another.