"Al-Turais" to officiate Al-Hilal vs. Ittihad match after Marciniak's arrival fails

The Saudi Football Association's referees committee has confirmed the identity of the referee for the Al-Hilal vs. Al-Ittihad match after a surprise change to the officiating team for the upcoming classic, which is part of the eighth round of the Saudi Pro League.

The decision came after the Polish refereeing crew led by international referee Szymon Marciniak was unable to arrive on time due to emergency circumstances affecting their flight, prompting the committee to intervene just hours before the match was set to begin.

The Saudi Pro League has officially assigned the task of officiating the highly anticipated clash to international referee Khaled Al-Turais, who will lead the match that has garnered widespread public interest, given the significance of its outcome on the standings of the top teams in the league table.

The forced adjustment led to a redistribution of refereeing duties during the eighth round, after Al-Turais was assigned to officiate the match between Al-Nassr and Al-Dar'iya, which took place on Friday evening, before his assignment was changed to the classic match.

The clash between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad is crucial in the heated battle for the top of the Saudi Pro League, as the two teams occupy third and fourth place after seven rounds, with only one point separating them. Both teams are aiming to secure three points and take the lead from Al-Qadisiyah.