"Why does this have to happen now..." A 'real bomb' lands before Son Heung-min... Saudi Arabia, possibility of 'one-year postponement' for the Asian Cup "SON's last dance in limbo"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The international airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, was hit by a rebel airstrike, raising alarms over the successful hosting of the Saudi Arabian Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in January next year.

Australia's AAP News Agency reported on the 13th (Korean time), "Yemen's pro-Iran Houthi rebels carried out consecutive strikes on King Khalid International Airport over the weekend, killing at least 14 people and injuring around 300," adding that "concerns are growing among the 23rd countries participating in the Asian Cup."

The 2027 Asian Cup, to be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5 next year, is effectively Son Heung-min (LAFC), captain of the South Korean national football team, his last Asian Cup. South Korea aims for its first championship in 67 years since 1960. As it is the stage for Son Heung-min's 'last dance,' domestic fans' expectations are particularly high. However, with major variables such as a tournament postponement arising from this airstrike incident, an unexpected setback has occurred in the national team's journey to reclaim the top spot.

Despite the approaching opening of the tournament, the AFC has not yet revealed specific emergency plans. On the other hand, the Football Federation Australia (FA) and the Professional Footballers Association Australia (PFA) announced that they would prioritize player safety and reflect the focused risk assessment results of the security team in tournament preparations.

Due to the tight schedule, the possibility of Saudi Arabia's hosting rights being immediately stripped is low, but if the conflict drags on, there is a high probability that the tournament will be postponed by one year to January 2028. In this case, it would trigger chain reactions affecting the schedules of national federations, including the issue of extending the contract of Tony Popovic, coach of the Australian national team, which is contracted until 2027.

The fire has spread to the sports industry as a whole. Al Nassr, the club of Cristiano Ronaldo, delayed its Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) match by one hour on the 12th due to security alerts from missile interception. The April Jeddah F1 Grand Prix and the November World Rally Championship (WRC) were also canceled. As it is the host country of the 2034 World Cup, the International Football Federation (FIFA) is also closely monitoring the situation.

Air operations have also been disrupted, with major airports closed until the 17th, and the Australian government has advised against travel to Saudi Arabia. The Korea Football Association, which had planned a friendly match away in Saudi Arabia in November, has begun considering alternatives, and the Australian national team, which is about to face away matches in Qatar and Jordan, has also entered risk assessment.

In the past, China returned its hosting rights for the 2023 Asian Cup due to COVID-19, and Qatar hosted it as a replacement. On the other hand, the Australian Under-17 (U-17) national team successfully completed the Saudi Arabia tournament in May last year despite political instability, after undergoing intensive security training.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original