JEDDAH, 2 March 2005 — Prince Khaled ibn Abdullah, honorary member of Ahli Club, expressed his anger at the repeated mistakes by referees on the field that have invariably seen Ahli at the receiving end.
He said that these mistakes damage the keen competition between teams. It also raised the question whether Ahli is being targeted by these referees.
Prince Khaled made these statements following the game on Monday. He said that he is not used to talking to the media about any game, but was forced to speak out after many questions from Ahli fans.
Prince Khaled blamed the referees for their continuous mistakes, which affected Ahli’s chances both in the local and in the international level. He said: “Ali Al-Mutlaq, the referee of the match between Ahli and Ittihad which was played last Saturday, committed blatant errors.
He canceled a goal claiming it was offside. But many football critics ruled it as a legitimate goal. He also did not give two penalty awards for Ahli, which also raises the question, why the injustice is always practiced against Ahli?”
He added: “We repeatedly complained to the Saudi Football Federation about the mistakes by referees against Ahli Club, but nothing has been done.
They should investigate the referees’ mistakes and there is nothing wrong with it. We see at the international level how referees are taken to task for their mistakes and sometimes fined, especially if the mistakes are blatant, like what has been happening against Ahli in the past three years.”
Prince Khaled called for establishment of a sport’s court because it is the only way to bring justice. In order for this court to be successful, an independent committee must establish this court.
