So this happened... Saudi Arabia’s national football team have been criticised for failing to observe a minute’s silence held before Thursday’s match against Australia in Adelaide. The Socceroos lined up in the centre of the pitch before the World Cup qualifier and held the brief silence as a tribute to the two Australians killed in the terrorist attack in London at the weekend. As they did so, the Saudi Arabia team continued jogging, passing the ball between each other and taking their positions on the field. Pictures from the match show a single Saudi player, Salman al-Faraj, appearing to stand facing the Australia team with his hands behind his back. Adam Peacock, a presenter with Fox Sports Australia, said on Twitter the Asian Football Confederation has approved the minute’s silence against the wishes of travelling Saudi officials. He said the Football Federation of Australia “tried to reason” with the Saudis but were unable to persuade them to participate in the tribute. Follow please log in to view this image Adam Peacock ✔@adampeacock3 Pre game minute silence: AFC approved it pre game. Travelling Saudi officials said no. FFA tried to reason, no avail and went ahead Sara Zelenak, 21, from Brisbane and the South Australian Kirsty Boden, 28, were killed in Saturday night’s terrorist attack. Zelenak was working in London as a nanny and Boden was a nurse, whose family said she died running “towards danger, in an effort to help people on the bridge”. Two other Australians were stabbed in the neck in the attack, which has been claimed by the terrorist group Islamic State. http://www.news.com.au/sport/footba...e/news-story/4b854913e4b4be744dafb0041ef51eaa The defence has been the Saudi lads don't really see the need, there are lots of people dying all the time, all round the world and so on. I suppose its a personal choice. Highlighting that the club lads stood in silence for the brazilian football team that passed is not really the same thing either. That is football related and this is more political. I suppose I can see their point, but I fail to see how giving up a minute of their time was so difficult. A bit of respect for the two dead Australians wouldn't have been so hard would it? To be honest I think the link above which says in 2015 they refused to get on a bus driven by a woman is more of a concern. Just ridiculous. Ok they got on in the end but when they requested future bus drivers are male, I'd have just said "look fellas, your bus driver will be a bus driver, if you don't like it **** off" This sort of prehistoric ****e has to go the distance.
The Saudis did apologise on behalf of their players (just for balance) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-40198696
Only after the event. Once they saw the fallout. The Saudi's apparently fund most of the Islamic terrorist groups... just putting that out there...
