MADRID, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rain in the southeast of Spain has forced the country's national team to alter its travel plans ahead of Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Georgia.
The match is due to be played in Elche, with the Spain players originally scheduled to fly from Madrid to the nearby city on Friday after training at the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) headquarters.
However, the province of Alicante is currently under a red alert for extreme weather conditions on Friday, with rainfall of up to 180 liters per square meter predicted for the area, along with heavy storms and dangerous winds.
A storm in Elche on Thursday saw the city receive 70 liters of water per square meter, flooding several major streets, and all schools have been closed and all public activity cancelled on Friday in the expectation of even heavier rain.
As a precautionary measure, the national team will now delay its travel until Saturday morning - the same day as the game, which for the moment will be played at 20:45 local time (CET) as scheduled.
The Georgia team is already in Alicante and has been preparing for the game in the city since Monday. ■
