Saudi rule change could force Jones out of Al Nassr

Brad Jones could be on his way out of Saudi Arabia this northern summer as league officials in the country consider banning foreign goalkeepers from next season.

The Australian shot stopper may have established himself as a leading number one in the Saudi Premier League since joining Al Nassr from Feyenoord in August 2018 and may have played a crucial role in the team lifting the league title last May but won’t be able to keep out this new rule should it be adopted.

Th 37 year-old has been just as impressive this season, missing just one league game out of 21, so far in which Al Nassr are currently second behind Riyadh rivals Al Hilal.

The Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF) have looked at recent performances of the national team at various age levels and are concerned that Saudi goalkeepers are having their development blocked by imports.

“It is important that local goalkeepers are given as many chances as possible,” a SAFF official told The World Game after the latest round of league action saw only six of 16 teams have a Saudi between the sticks.

“We need to have a strong and experienced pool to choose from and if that means banning foreign goalkeepers then this is what we will have to do. South Korea is one of a number of Asian countries that does the same and it does not cause them any problems. We are looking at this very seriously."

If the change is made, it is expected however that the seven-player limit on foreign signings will remain though the quota will have to be outfield players.

Any announcement is likely to be made before the season is scheduled to finish on May 30, a month before Jones’s contract expires. There are, however, growing calls for Saudi Premier League games to be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. At present, games are taking place behind closed doors.


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2 min read
Published 11 March 2020 2:56pm
By John Duerden

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