Al Ahly has threatened to withdraw from the Egyptian Premier League if their match against Zamalek proceeds under Egyptian referees.
In an official statement, Al Ahly demanded that the match be postponed until the Egyptian Professional Clubs Association adheres to its own decision of appointing foreign referees for the fixture. The club insisted that if their demand is ignored, they will not continue participating in the league.
The club’s board of directors remains in an emergency session to address the situation, emphasizing the growing frustrations with Egyptian football’s governing bodies.
Al Ahly’s Official Statement
In an emergency meeting held on Tuesday morning, Al Ahly’s board discussed the ongoing instability within Egyptian football, particularly the lack of coordination between the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) and the Professional Clubs Association. The club expressed frustration over repeated administrative missteps that have led to continuous crises.
The primary concern was the decision to assign Egyptian referees to officiate the highly anticipated Cairo Derby against Zamalek. Al Ahly noted that they had formally requested foreign referees for the fixture, citing previous officiating controversies that have influenced match results. The club had also submitted multiple requests for a structural overhaul of the refereeing system, including the appointment of a foreign expert to head the refereeing committee.
Despite these repeated efforts, Al Ahly claims their concerns have been ignored, further exacerbating their distrust in the current system. The statement emphasized that the club is unwilling to accept continued refereeing inconsistencies that could impact the fairness of the competition.
Consequently, the board has decided to:
- Insist on postponing the match until the association fulfills its commitment to appointing foreign referees, as originally stated.
- Withdraw from the league if their demand is not met.
- Remain in a continuous session to monitor developments and take necessary actions.
https://twitter.com/AlAhly/status/1899426336877285573
League Authorities Respond
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced that it had appointed Egyptian referee Mahmoud El-Basyouni to officiate the match. However, the association denied receiving any official request from the Professional Clubs Association to assign foreign referees for this or any other match in the second phase of the league.
In their statement, the EFA confirmed that its president, Hany Abo Rida, had been in contact with Ahmed Diab, the head of the Professional Clubs Association, regarding the matter. However, due to time constraints, they were unable to secure foreign referees for the match.
“The EFA acknowledges the importance of fair competition and transparency in officiating,” the statement read. “However, logistical limitations prevented us from securing foreign referees on such short notice.”
Shortly after the Red Devils’ statement, the EFA shared photos on social media of a meeting between Colombian referee instructor, Oscar Ruiz, and the Egyptian delegation of referees appointed by the EFA board, confirming that there will be no last-minute changes.
Meanwhile, a source from the Professional Clubs Association has reportedly revealed that the organization had indeed intended to cover the costs of foreign referees for key matches, including clashes between Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Pyramids FC, given their likely impact on the title race.
“We are not in conflict with the EFA, but our goal is to maintain fair competition,” the source said. “We had planned to bring foreign referees for these crucial matches due to widespread complaints from all clubs. However, the time constraints have made this difficult.”
Zamalek’s Position
Despite the controversy, Zamalek confirmed that they will proceed with the match as scheduled.
Ahmed Salem, the club’s spokesperson, stated via Facebook: “In just a few hours, the first team will head to Cairo International Stadium for our scheduled match against Al Ahly, in accordance with the official second-round league schedule.”
What Are the Consequences of Withdrawing?
According to the league regulations set by the Professional Clubs Association at the start of the season, any club that withdraws from the Egyptian Premier League faces severe penalties, including relegation and financial sanctions.
If Al Ahly follows through with its threat and pulls out of the league during the final phase of the season, the following consequences will apply:
- The club will be relegated to the lower division next season and will be banned from participating in the league for the next two seasons.
- A fine of 20 million EGP will be imposed.
- The club will bear financial losses from commercial and broadcasting contracts, along with other costs related to participation before the withdrawal.
- All points and goals from matches played in the first phase will remain valid for determining the league standings.
- However, results from the final phase matches involving the withdrawn team will be nullified, and disciplinary actions, including yellow and red cards, will still be enforced.
Pyramids FC currently leads the table with 42 points, Al Ahly sits in second place with 39 points and Zamalek is in third place with 32 points.
Despite Al Ahly’s threat to withdraw, as things currently stand, the Cairo Derby remains set to take place at Cairo International Stadium as scheduled, on Tuesday, March 11th, 9:30 PM.