The Saudi Pro League said it will rework and review its schedule following the postponement of the 2027 Asian Cup.
The league has postponed all Matchweek 13 fixtures after the Asian Football Confederation confirmed that the quadrennial tournament, originally set to be hosted in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, will now take place in late December 2027.
The security situation in the country had created “exceptional circumstances”, making postponement “necessary in the interest of all participating teams”, the AFC said.
The SPL was set to shutter for the entirety of the Asian Cup's original dates, scheduled in the cooler months but bang smack in the middle of the domestic campaign.
Following the AFC's announcement, the SPL confirmed that this week's fixtures will take place at a later date in consultation with clubs to create “additional flexibility in the domestic football calendar”.
It said it would focus on “achieving a more balanced distribution” of fixtures across the remainder of the season, while ensuring adequate rest and recovery periods for players.
It was the right call, given the regional uncertainty, but the postponement creates additional headaches not only for this season but the 2027/28 campaign, too.
Ange Postecoglou was most vocal about his irritation at Al Nassr's fixture list. The Saudi champions were made to play a huge chunk of matches in the hottest part of the season ahead of the Asian Cup.
From August 15 to September 15, for example, they played nine matches. By the end of October, when temperatures were still high, they had played 13.
The postponement of the Asian Cup will allow the league to use that window to fit in games, including those that were postponed earlier in the season as the kingdom came under attack from missiles and drones fired by Houthi rebels from neighbouring Yemen.
Saudi clubs will no longer face the immediate prospect of losing players to the Asian Cup, retaining their Asian players for domestic fixtures.
There are obvious benefits, such as allowing coaches to rest and rotate players and allowing more recovery between games. An international break follows this week's fixtures, meaning those players not involved with their national teams will have extra time off in November.
In the long term, though, the postponement has only delayed the inevitable; the league will face the same scheduling challenge next season. The disruption has been deferred, not eliminated.
Reijnders leads Al Qadsiah charge
An unexpected break in the schedule gives us a chance to look back on the state of play in the SPL.
Al Hilal head into the international break on top, two points ahead of Al Qadsiah and Al Nassr, having played a game less than the former.
Ollie Watkins and Gabriel Martinelli have made an impact at Hilal, with the England striker's two goals in Tuesday's AFC Champions League Elite win over Shabab Al Ahli taking his tally to eight goals in all competitions.
Goals were expected from a striker who departed Aston Villa as their all-time Premier League top scorer. Fewer were expected from a midfielder cast out by Manchester City.
Tijjani Reijnders has hit the ground running in Khobar. The Dutch international has been in sensational form, scoring five goals and providing three assists in five appearances to help maintain Qadsiah's title push.
A standout performance in the 6-0 league win over Al Riyadh saw the 28-year-old midfielder bag a hat-trick and an assist, earning the league's player of the month award for October.
It propelled the former AC Milan player to second in the scoring charts with eight goals, ahead of more established names such as Alexandre Lacazette and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as his own teammates Mateo Retegui and Julian Quinones.
Between them, Reijnders, Retegui and Quinones have grabbed 21 of Qadsiah's 32 league goals, making Brendan Rodgers' side the joint-top scorers alongside Hilal.
Coaches love players, particularly midfielders such as Reijnders, who can break the lines and progress the ball forward. But Qadsiah’s progressor-in-chief is fast becoming their chief goal threat.
His midfield partnership alongside Saudi Arabian international Musab Al Juwayr has blossomed, too. While Reijnders has turned predator, Al Juwayr has turned provider, assisting five times already this campaign (as has Quinones).
It's not just in attack where Qadsiah excel. Goalkeeper Koen Casteels picked up three clean sheets in October, earning him the goalkeeper of the month award.
Rodgers will be hoping the unexpected pause does little to disrupt his side's momentum. With Reijnders providing goals from midfield, Retegui and Quinones delivering up front – and Casteels offering security at the other end, Qadsiah – have developed the ingredients of genuine title contenders.
