Manama: A Saudi football fan has reportedly asked his wife to follow a set of rules throughout the World Cup championship to ensure their marriage is not put at risk.

And to stress that “prevention is better than cure”, the husband wrote down the rules and made copies that he placed in different areas of the house so that his wife does not miss or forget them, local news site Ain Al Yawm reported on Monday.

Under the ad hoc rules, the wife has to inform her husband about any plans to go out to see her family or to visit her friends at least two hours before the start of any match.

Trips to shopping centres that can take hours can be made only on days when no football matches are scheduled, the husband said.

Women are not allowed to drive and they therefore depend on their husbands or relatives in case they plan to go out and do not wish to take a taxi.

People in Saudi Arabia can watch live the football matches being currently played in Brazil at 7pm, 11pm and 1am.

The wife has also been warned to avoid making any comments when the husband is extremely upset or exceedingly jubilant.

“I might under the emotional stress hurl the remote control and I do not want you to be the target. I am keen on preserving your natural beauty,” he wrote in his note.

“When there is a crucial match, I want you to be ready to accept my excesses in cheering my favourite team. I might have several outbursts and I do not want them to scare you off,” he said.

He added that he wanted the Italians to win the Cup.

The husband said that the rules would last until the final whistle of the final game on July 13.

Saudis are particularly fond of football and pictures being circulated on social media have shown the extent of their passion for the World Cup. One Saudi has converted his majlis into a replica of a stadium and adorned it with flags of his favourite teams.